"Soon everyone will be crying because Carlos Alcaraz is injured" - Fans react to Spaniard playing back-to-back exhibitions ahead of Australian Open

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz's exhibition schedules have left his fans worried about his Australian Open campaign.

Alcaraz squared off against Novak Djokovic at the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup on Wednesday, December 27, in Saudi Arabia. He staged a spirited comeback after losing the first set to clinch a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Serb at the Kingdom Arena in the capital city.

However, his exhibition duties are still not over as he is scheduled to play another match in his hometown Murcia, Spain. The Spaniard will take on compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut on Thursday, December 28 as part of the Carlos Alcaraz Cup, a charity event.

With the Australian Open approaching, netizens believe that Alcaraz's hectic travel schedule is a sign of poor management. One fan took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his discontent, writing:

"Flying from Spain to Saudi Arabia for an exhibition then back to Spain for another exhibition and a few days later to Australia is insane."

Another fan argued that the 20-year-old is overburdening himself at the start of the season and that it might cost him as the year progresses.

"Nah he needs to stop this. after that he must then travel to the other side of the planet to prepare for the Aussie Swing? He'll be exhausted by the time Indian Wells comes around," the fan tweeted.

A third fan chimed in saying:

"And soon everyone will be crying because carlitos is injured…"

Here are a few more reactions from X:

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Carlos Alcaraz: "Novak Djokovic seems like he is 20"

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz spoke highly of Novak Djokovic after Wednesday's encounter in Riyadh. He praised the Serb's longevity and said he was looking forward to taking him on a few more times in the future.

“Hopefully this will keep going. As I said many many times, and he has said it himself, he seems like he is 20. So, we are going to share the court more than once. It’s amazing and I would like to congratulate him and thank him for playing this match with me. I had a good time here,” Alcaraz said during the on-court interview.

The World No. 2 further expressed his happiness over getting the opportunity to share the court with Djokovic. He said:

"I grew up watching him winning all the big tournaments and you know, you always dream about this moment, playing against him face-to-face and I’m really happy to be able to do that,” he added.

Carlos Alcaraz currently trails the 24-time Grand Slam champion 2-3 in their head-to-head tally.