Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz set for potential blockbuster showdown at Davis Cup
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are all set for a potential clash in the group stage of this year's Davis Cup, which will be held in September. The duo last met in the final of 2023 Wimbledon, where Alcaraz overcame a slow start to defeat his more experienced rival in five sets.
Both Serbia and Spain have been drawn in Group C of the team event, with the matches scheduled to take place in Valencia. The other teams in the group are the Czech Republic and South Korea. The two best-performing teams in the group will advance to the knockout stage, which is scheduled to be played in Malaga.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have faced each other three times on the ATP tour thus far
The 23-time Major winner has been out of action ever since losing to Alcaraz in the championship match at Wimbledon a month ago. However, he will be making his much-awaited return at Cincinnati on Wednesday, with either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry awaiting him in the second round.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, has lost a bit of form since winning his second Major at SW19. The Spaniard was subpar during his campaign at last week's Canada Masters, losing in three comprehensive sets to World No. 13 Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
The World No. 1 is the top seed at this week's ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and could end up facing Djokovic once again, provided the top two seeds beat every player in their projected path to the final.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have contributed to one of the few redeeming match-ups on the ATP tour for more than a year now. The duo have met each other three times thus far, with the 20-year-old leading the rivalry by a margin of 2-1.
They first met in Madrid last year in a three-set thriller, which Alcaraz clinched by the scoreline of 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5). Their second match at this year's Roland Garros, however, turned out to be quite underwhelming as the young Spaniard was outmatched physically by Djokovic in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory for the latter.
Alcaraz saved his best for their most recent clash, though, at the mecca of tennis — the Wimbledon Championships. For nearly five hours, the two champions battled on the Centre Court in what was a top-quality Grand Slam final. Eventually, the World No. 1 came through, beating the Serb 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to hold on to his position as the best player in the world currently.
Although Alcaraz has led his rivalry with the 23-time Major winner, Djokovic is the slight favorite for the duo's potential match at the Davis Cup for a variety of reasons.
Alcaraz is under immense pressure currently to defend his 2022 US Open crown. He is also likely to be tired from his fortnight at the Flushing Meadows since he is yet to fully develop in terms of his physical conditioning.
It should also be noted that all the group-stage matches at the 2023 Davis Cup will be played on indoor hardcourt. While Djokovic is possibly the best player of all-time to play on an indoor hardcourt, Alcaraz was less-than-convincing on the surface last year.