"Heading to Riyadh" - Carlos Alcaraz expresses excitement for exhibition match against Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz recently expressed his excitement over the upcoming exhibition match he will play against Novak Djokovic in Riyadh.

Djokovic and Alcaraz will play the match on December 27 as part of the Riyadh Season festival, organized by the esteemed General Entertainment Authority of the country. The event will serve as a prelude for both players for the first Grand Slam of the year, the 2024 Australian Open.

Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka will also participate in the exhibition event. Their match is scheduled to take place on December 26.

Carlos Alcaraz has now taken to social media to express his excitement over the upcoming match in the Gulf country. He has also conveyed his eagerness to face off against Novak Djokovic.

"Heading to Riyadh on December 27 for my match against @DjokerNole! ❤️ 🎾 @RiyadhSeason," Alcaraz posted on X (formerly Twitter).

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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have faced each other five times so far

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have faced each other on five occasions so far.

The pair first locked horns in 2022 at the Madrid Masters. The other four clashes occurred in 2023, at the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, Cincinnati Masters and the ATP Finals.

Out of these encounters, Djokovic emerged victorious in three matches, while Alcaraz managed to defeat the Serb twice. The Spaniard's victories occurred at Madrid and the summit clash of Wimbledon 2023.

Carlos Alcaraz staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Novak Djokovic 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) to secure his spot in the 2022 Madrid Open final. In the championship match, he faced Alexander Zverev, whom he defeated 6-3, 6-1 to lift the trophy.

In the 2023 French Open semifinal, the World No. 1 defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The win propelled Djokovic to the final, where he faced off against Casper Ruud. The Serb won 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 to secure his 23rd Grand Slam title.

In the Wimbledon final this year, Djokovic was aiming to win his 24th Grand Slam title. However, Carlos Alcaraz defeated the seven-time Wimbledon champion 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to stop him equaling Margaret Court's record of 24 Majors.

Novak Djokovic then defeated Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4) to secure the 2023 Cincinnati Masters title. While doing so, he also earned a record-extending 39th ATP Masters 1000 title.

Their last tour-level meeting of 2023 came in the ATP Finals semifinal, where Djokovic defeated the Spaniard 6-3, 6-2 to secure his spot in the final. The 24-time Grand Slam champion then defeated Jannik Sinner in the championship match to claim a record seventh ATP Finals title.