The United Cup is already underway and now a couple of ATP events in Hong Kong and Brisbane are set to join the 2025 season-opening festivities. Among the participants this week are Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Grigor Dimitrov, Frances Tiafoe, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, and Lorenzo Musetti.
Here are my previews and picks for the two tournaments.
Bank of China Open
Where: Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Prize money: $661,585
Top seed: Andrey Rublev
Defending champion: Andrey Rublev
Hong Kong boasts a formidable field, albeit not as strong as Brisbane’s. Rublev, Musetti, Karen Khachanov, and Arthur Fils are the top four seeds with first-round byes. Also don’t sleep on the unseeded contingent, which features Kei Nishikori, Denis Shapovalov, and Jerry Shang. Nishikori and Shapovalov will square off in the opening round.
Fils arguably has the best draw. The 20-year-old and 20th-ranked Frenchman is in a weak quarter and also a relatively soft bottom half. The toughest section is in the top half, where the Nishikori-Shapovalov winner will meet Khachanov in round two before potentially facing Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal picks: Jerry Shang over Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov over Brandon Nakashima, Arthur Fils over Miomir Kecmanovic, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina over Lorenzo Musetti
Semifinals: Khachanov over Shang and Fils over Davidovich Fokina
Final: Fils over Khachanov
Brisbane International
Where: Brisbane, Australia
Prize money: $766,290
Top seed: Novak Djokovic
Defending champion: Grigor Dimitrov
ATP 250 tournaments don’t get much bigger and better than this, especially since Djokovic is playing. The 24-time Grand Slam champion pulled the rip cord on his 2024 season following the Shanghai Masters and skipped the Nitto ATP Finals, so it’s safe to say that he is well rested for 2025. Djokovic will begin his year against Rinky Hijikata and could go up against Gael Monfils in the last 16. Kyrgios and Tiafoe are possible semifinal foes for Djokovic. Kyrgios and Tiafoe are part of a loaded quarter that also includes Sebastian Korda, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Jakub Mensik.
The bottom half is not as strong, although Dimitrov and Rune are certainly capable of lifting the trophy. Matteo Berrettini probably has to be considered the most dangerous floater player in Brisbane. The Italian gets started against Jordan Thompson and could run into Dimitrov in the last eight.
Quarterfinal picks: Novak Djokovic over Alexei Popyrin, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard over Jakub Mensik, Holger Rune over Alejandro Tabilo, and Matteo Berrettini over Grigor Dimitrov
Semifinals: Djokovic over Mpetshi Perricard and Rune over Berrettini
Final: Djokovic over Rune
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.