Carlos Alcaraz admitted the injury absences of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic make it easier for him to defend his Madrid Open title, but said Tuesday he did not feel favourite to win.
The joint record 22-time Grand Slam winners last week withdrew from the competition in the Spanish capital, in a blow to their preparations for the French Open at the end of May.
World number two and top seed Alcaraz, who retained the Barcelona Open title on Sunday by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, is aiming to do the same in Madrid, which begins Wednesday.