Riyadh, the desert city of Saudi Arabia, became the scene of a showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in a pre-season exhibition match. Both players are looking ahead to the Australian Open, which is coming up in the second half of January.

Whilst it is just an exhibition match, Alcaraz and Djokovic are the two highest-ranked male tennis players in the world right now and any battle between the duo is enjoyed by tennis fans around the world.

Two highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour met on the same court, and once again, fans were treated to a spectacular match and a little peak into what we should expect in 2024.

The Spanish sensation recovered from losing the first set to triumph 4-6 6-4 6-4 against the world No.1 in an exhibition match.

Their previous meeting was surprisingly one-sided, Djokovic easing to a 6-3 6-2 win at the ATP World Tour Finals in November 2023. The intensity may have been a little lower on December 27, with each man very much in warm-up mode as they prepare for the start of the 2024 season and the Australian Open on January 14, but this was still an intriguing contest played to the kind of standard that will have the rest of the ATP Tour worried.

After the friendly contest, Djokovic had some kind words for Alcaraz who he has battled with for the top-rank status throughout 2023.

“It’s fantastic to have Alcaraz in our sport,” Djokovic said after the pairs’ latest battle.

“He is one of the leaders of this sport today and he is going to carry our sport for the next 10 to 15 years.

“We are going to see a lot of him, tennis is in good hands.”

Both players have approached their preparation for the Australian Open differently. Djokovic, on his way to Melbourne, will participate in the United Cup with the Serbian team, while Alcaraz has opted not to play any tournament prior to the Australian Grand Slam.

The 2023 Riyadh Season Tennis Cup season is an exciting event during the off-season, and the women’s match was won by Aryna Sabalenka, who bested Ons Jabeur in three sets.