Nor 2023 has ended but Carlos Alcaraz y Novak Djokovic They have played a duel that must now be in the season 2024. It has been a month and a half since they last met officially, in the semifinals of the Finals ATP with victory of the Serbian. Since then they have rested, reviewed the campaign, advanced in the preseason and asserted their respective positions as numbers 2 and 1 in the world to star in the Season Tennis Cup south Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia. Certainly, professional tennis has been played before in the kingdom of the Arabian Peninsula, but the presence of Carlos and Novak – and the previous one of Ons Jaber y Aryna Sabalenka– is very symbolic because Saudi Arabia is going to become also a top-level actor in tennis organizations.
And Carlos was the first to score territory in this preseason. The meeting did not have, logically, great tension, but of course it did not disappoint. Great blows were seen, game showyy triumph of the Spanish by 4-6, 6-3 and 6-4. Novak gave up the first serve but then played with an intensity that Carlos managed to free himself from in the second set. In it ahead again with 2-0 but, this time, better at serving, he no longer gave up his advantage.
In the third again Alcaraz broke first (3-1). Novak recovered (3-3) but then Alcaraz knew how to take advantage of the errors of number 1. Maybe the good spanish backhand performance and his security in the background, always important against a Novak who forces him to always maintain a strong rhythm, is the most notable thing about the match, in addition to achieving a victory that could have psychological value.
For Novak This has been the last act prior to the season, since from here it will go directly to the United Cup. Carlos will play on Thursday, December 28 in Murcia against Roberto Bautista Agut before heading to Australia.
