Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be among the title favorites at the upcoming Australian Open. Two rivals are yet to meet in Melbourne, although they will share the court on Tuesday. The multiple Major champions will train together at Rod Laver Arena.
Novak and Carlos will seek deep runs in Melbourne following last year's setbacks. Djokovic could not chase his 11th Australian Open trophy, falling to Jannik Sinner in the semi-final. It was Novak's first Australian Open defeat after passing the quarter-final stage.
Sinner took charge in the opening two sets, taming his strokes nicely and outplaying the legend. Djokovic saved a match point in the third set and extended the battle before losing ground in the fourth, propelling the young gun into the title clash.
Novak claimed the Olympic Games gold medal in August last year and slowed down his engines. The 24-time Major winner played two official tournaments by the end of the year, recharging batteries and seeking Major glory in 2025.
The Serb started the new season at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane and fell to Reilly Opelka in the quarter-final. Djokovic will be the 7th seed in Melbourne, with potential matches against Sinner, Alcaraz or Zverev already in the quarter-final.
Carlos Alcaraz did not play matches ahead of the Australian Open, opting to train at home. The young Spaniard will seek the elusive Major crown, hoping to complete a Career Grand Slam at 21! Alcaraz has yet to show his A-game in Melbourne.
He reached the quarter-final a year ago but fell to Alexander Zverev after a mediocre performance. Carlos will be the 3rd seed in Melbourne, and it should be interesting to see his path toward the title.
Alcaraz and Djokovic have met three times at Majors. Their first duel came at the 2023 Roland Garros. They split the opening two sets before the 20-year-oldlost the ground. Carlos felt cramps in the entire body and stood no chance in sets three and four.
The Spaniard bounced back at Wimbledon and topped the Serb in thrilling five sets, claiming his second Major title. Two rivals met again in last year's Wimbledon final. This time, there was only one player on the court.
Alcaraz took charge and ousted the seven-time winner 6-2, 6-2, 7-6, defending the title and celebrating his fourth Major crown at 21!
