It is completely inconceivable that Real Madrid and Fútbol Club Barcelona prepared their assault on the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a party between the stars of both teams. However, such a powerful image is not at all strange in tennis, as they demonstrated this Tuesday. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Spaniard and Serbian, protagonists of tense and memorable duels on the court, have trained together ahead of their participation in the next Australian Open (from January 12 to 26).
Both will be, with the permission of world number one, Jannik Sinner, favorites in the tournament being held in Melbourne. The Italian, already on Australian soil, tuned his racket before the first Grand Slam of the course by playing an exhibition duel against Alexei Popyrin, another original formula to get ready while avoiding the monotony of individual sessions.
Also this Tuesday he began to exercise on the field Djokovic, who after a 2024 full of setbacks aspires to return to the top of world tennis touching the metal of the trophies and finally distancing herself from Margaret Court in the classification of the most individual Grand Slams in history. To achieve this he has teamed up with none other than the British Andy Murray, who will be his coach this season.
The curious thing about the start of training in Australia for the Serbian, who is seeking his eleventh title in this event, in addition to the change in his bench, was the participation of one of his great rivals of recent times, the Murcian Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic, at his best
The Spaniard, who had already started his preparation for the first major tournament of the year on Monday, stood on the other side of the net to test himself against a top-level rival. And the game did not disappoint. According to journalists present on the center court of Melbourne Park andThe winner was the veteran, who won the set 7-5 thanks to the greater efficiency of its service.
-
1
Jannik Sinner (ITA) 11,830 points.
-
2
Alexander Zverev (ALE) 7,635
-
3
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 7,010
-
4
Taylor Fritz (USA) 5,350
-
5
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,030
-
6
Casper Ruud (NOR) 4,210
-
7
Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3,900
-
8
Alex De Minaur (AUS) 3,535
-
9
Andrey Rublev (RUS) 3,520
-
10
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 3,200
Despite the striking image of a friendly Alcaraz-Djokovic, it’s not the first time that both tennis players, currently third and seventh in the world, stand face to face to help each other in their preparation. Before they had done it at the Mutua Madrid Open, Roland Garros, Paris-Bercy or at the ATP Finals in Turin in 2023.
#Alcaraz #prepares #Australian #Open #crossing #rackets #Djokovic
