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ATP World Tour: Favorites in Men’s Singles After April

By Harry Floyd

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 22: Kei Nishikori of Japan plays a backhand in his match against Rafael Nadal of Spain during day eight of ATP Masters Series: Monte Carlo Rolex Masters at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 22, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 22: Kei Nishikori of Japan plays a backhand in his match against Rafael Nadal of Spain during day eight of ATP Masters Series: Monte Carlo Rolex Masters at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 22, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Action on the ATP World Tour is gearing up toward the 2018 French Open. Here’s a look at how the top players are performing through April.

Several players are surging right now on the 2018 ATP World Tour. It may come as no surprise that the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, is ahead of the pack in men’s singles tennis. Especially with Swiss great Roger Federer out of the picture, Nadal is dominating the clay court season. After taking some time away due to injury, Nadal wins the Monte-Carlo Masters and has already reached the finals yet again at the Barcelona Open.

The world No. 1 remains the clearcut favorite for play at Roland Garros next month. Another player to watch right now is Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori. He, like several other top players in the sport, has been dealing with injuries in the last year. While his wrist is still acting up from time to time, Nishikori is rediscovering his rhythm. Reaching the finals in Monte-Carlo, Nadal bested Nishikori but the Japanese great can take plenty of positives away from his run there.

David Goffin, John Isner, and Dominic Thiem are three other players to keep an eye on throughout the next month on the ATP World Tour. Goffin falls to Nadal in the Barcelona Open semifinals but not before winning three hard-fought matches at the event. If he can continue to fight in the coming weeks, Goffin will be a difficult player to knock out at Roland Garros. The Belgian has previously reached the quarterfinals at the Grand Slam.

Next: 2018 French Open Favorites

After starting the year off slowly, American tennis veteran John Isner wins a title at the Miami Open. The win thrusts him back into the ATP Top 10 and makes him someone to watch moving forward. Isner brings a solid mix of veteran talent, power, and experience to any match he plays. He remains in search of his first career Grand Slam singles title. Thiem has reached the quarterfinals in both of his last two tournaments on the ATP World Tour. The young Austrian has also reached the semifinals at the French Open in each of the last two years. As action continues to heat up on tour right now, top players in men’s singles tennis need to be at their best if they hope to dethrone the great Nadal.

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