“It was a great experience being there,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press-conference. “I couldn’t go around much last year. For me, it’s great to see the culture here in China, see different things. Being there [in the Forbidden City] was a great experience for me. I’m really happy to be back here again in Beijing.”
Alcaraz, seeded No. 2 at the ATP 500, will face big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first round on Thursday. Gauff, seeded No. 4, received a first-round bye and will play another French player, Clara Burel, in her first match since splitting with coach Brad Gilbert.
