Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic share the same half of the painting in Doha | ATP Tour

Doha

Alcaraz and Djokovic share the same half of the painting in Doha

The Serbian will premiere in the first round against Berrettini

February 15, 2025

Is the Qatar Exxonmobil operate an new chapter of the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic? If so, it will be in a possible semifinal in Doha.

And it is that the Spanish and the Serbian share the same half of the painting, after the draw this Saturday thus carries it in the tournament that this year will premiere its condition of ATP 500. No. 3 of the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz, Alcaraz, He will participate for the first time in Doha, will have his first appointment in the inaugural round against Marin Cilic.

The Spanish commands CILIC, which has not yet competed this season due to a knee injury, with a 3-1 balance in the Lexus ATP Head2head. His last game was an exciting fourth round duel at the US Open 2022 that was decided on the fifth set of Alcaraz side.

For his part, Djokovic will not have a simple premiere when he returned to the track for the first time since he suffered a muscular injury in the last edition of the Australian Open. The man in charge of testing it will be the Italian Matteo Berrettini.

The 24 times Grand Slam champion, who will try to match Roger Federer’s record with three titles in Doha, has won his four previous games against Berrettini, including the Wimbledon final they played in 2021.

Djokovic will compete for the first time since he had to leave in the semifinals in Melbourne against Alexander Zverev. The 37 -year -old Serbian will also play the double test with Fernando Verdasco. The Spanish will end his career in Doha, after his participation in the team test.

On the lower part of the painting, the second favorite will be Alex de Miñaur who will try to recover from the defeat in the Rotterdam final two weeks ago, when he premiered in Doha against Roman Safiullin. Serial head No. 5 Andrev Rublev, which was already champion of the tournament in 2020, is the rival potential in the quarterfinals of the Australian.

Daniil Medvedev is still hunting for his first crown of the season at the Open 13 Provence and is already in Marseille semifinals where Hamad Medjedovic is measured on Saturday. When the world No. 8 lands in Doha will have to be prepared to measure the current champion in Qatar: Karen Khachanov.

Of course, Medvedev already knows what it is to conquer the title in Doha. He did it in 2023, after beating Andy Murray in the final.

In that same sector of the painting, Stefanos Tsitsipas will advance as sixth favorite, which could be Medvedev’s rival in the quarterfinals. The Greek will open its way to Medjedovic and, if we move on, it could be seen in the second round with Felix Auger-Aliasmeme.

Finally, the twice champion of the Roberto Bautista Aguet tournament, one of the two Spaniards in the painting with Alcaraz, will open this edition against the Belgian Zizou Bergs, a rival in front of which it has never been measured.