Delray Beach, Buenos Aires, and Marseille: Our thoughts on the tennis tournaments this week.
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
ATP Marseille 250: Our thoughts on the French tournament
In France, the Open 13 in Marseille opens its doors at the Palais des Sports for its 33rd edition. This indoor hard court tournament saw a French player win the title for the 10th time in its history last year: Ugo Humbert, who defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
This year, the French players in the city of Marseille will include Harold Mayot, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Quentin Halys. We will also be able to count on the presence of the soon-to-retire Richard Gasquet, who is wrapping up his farewell tour in front of the French audience before June and will face Alexander Bublik in the first round. The locals will also be able to watch a 100% French duel in the first round between Benjamin Bonzi and Lucas Pouille. Lots of great names for your tennis predictions.
The defending champion Ugo Humbert, who is seeded second, is back this year to defend his title. After winning his first three rounds at the Australian Open last month, including a notable win over his compatriot Arthur Fils, the Frenchman was able to challenge the current world number 2, Alexander Zverev, in the round of 16. He should be the player to watch in this tournament, as he is unlikely to face any formidable opponents.
Indeed, the number 1 seed, Daniil Medvedev, has not yet managed to string together two consecutive wins at the start of this season, having been stopped in the second round of the Australian Open and then at Rotterdam. Karen Khachanov, the third seed, has also not shown great form recently, being eliminated in the first round in Hong Kong and then in the round of 16 at the Australian Open by Alex Michelsen.
Our prediction for the Marseille tournament winner: Ugo Humbert to win!
ATP Delray Beach 250: Our thoughts on the American tournament
The American tournament, which is played on hard court, also kicks off its 33rd edition this week in front of the American crowd. In 2023 and 2024, American Taylor Fritz, the local player, succeeded in front of his home audience, winning the title two years in a row.
Back this year, Taylor Fritz is the number 1 seed for the third consecutive year and is here to defend his title. However, he seems to be searching for success at the start of the season, as after winning the United Cup with the United States, he hasn't managed to win more than two consecutive singles matches. He was stopped in the round of 16 at the Australian Open by Frenchman Gaël Monfils and did not go past the round of 16 in Dallas last week.
Another American player who should step up and take advantage of the support from his home crowd is Alex Michelsen, who is seeded number 3 in this tournament. The 20-year-old reached the quarterfinals at the Auckland tournament earlier this year and followed that up with wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov at the Australian Open, reaching the round of 16 at the Grand Slam. The semi-finalist from the ATP Next Gen Finals last year should be determined to do better than his first-round exit in Dallas a few days ago, and this time he will have the backing of the crowd to make an impact at Delray Beach.
The presence of last season's finalist, Tommy Paul, could also have been a game-changer for the competitors in this tournament. However, the American player was a semifinalist in Dallas last weekend and may not have enough energy to deliver a strong performance at Delray Beach.
Our prediction for the winner: Alex Michelsen to win!
ATP Buenos Aires 250: Our thoughts on the South American tournament
The first clay court tournament of the 2025 season opens its doors in Argentina's capital. The Buenos Aires tournament also crowned a local player last season, as 24-year-old Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta won the title against Chilean Nicolás Jarry.
The defending champion is back this year, aiming for a second consecutive title, but his form may not allow him to truly compete with his rivals. After being stopped in the qualifiers in Auckland and then receiving a "Lucky Loser" spot, the Argentine lost in the quarterfinals to Gaël Monfils and has not been able to string together two consecutive victories since.
It is German player Alexander Zverev, the number 1 seed, who should stand out in this clay court tournament. The semi-finalist at the ATP Finals last year had an exceptional run at the Australian Open last month, winning six consecutive matches, including victories over Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul, and Novak Djokovic, and reaching the final, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner. The world number 2 will want to use this first clay tournament of the season to bounce back and get his momentum back. Having won the Masters 1000 title in Rome last year, he only lost 6 matches on clay during the entire season, with 23 victories. We should see a great show from the German player.
Our prediction for the winner: Alexander Zverev to win!
