Carlos Alcaraz dissects the potential match against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have met each other once at Roland Garros back in 2023, with the Serb winning in four sets.
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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Danny, The Tennis Letter)
Carlos Alcaraz has already found success on clay, reaching the Monte Carlo final and making it to his third Masters 1000 final on this surface. However, the Spaniard is already looking beyond Monte Carlo and focusing on Roland Garros, where he enters this year as the defending champion.
One match he has highlighted is his potential encounter with Novak Djokovic. The two have developed an exciting rivalry, with their most recent clash taking place at the 2025 Australian Open. Alcaraz is eager for another challenge against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
It’s always fantastic to face Djokovic, he’s always a very tough opponent. Against him, you can see what level you’re at. It could be something great, but there’s still a long way to go. A lot can happen during tournaments or the week prior to it, so we’ll see.
Carlos Alcaraz said in post-match press conference (H/T: Punto de Break)
Alcaraz and Djokovic have faced each other three times on clay, with the Serbian winning two of those matches. Interestingly, they have met twice at Roland Garros, with Djokovic winning both encounters.
The first was in the 2023 Roland Garros semifinal, where Djokovic won an injury-plagued match. The second meeting came at last year’s Paris Olympics, where Djokovic won the gold medal in straight sets against his younger opponent.
Carlos Alcaraz involved in a potential rematch with Arthur Fils
The 2025 Barcelona Open draw is out. Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils are both in the top half. This means they could face each other again, but only in the semi-finals. Their last match was a close one at the Monte Carlo Masters.
In that match, Fils looked strong early. He had break points late in the second set but could not convert. Alcaraz came back, broke serve, and forced a third set. Fils went up 3-1 in the final set, but Alcaraz rallied to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Alcaraz is the top seed in Barcelona. He plays a qualifier first. If he wins, he will face Tomas Machac or Frances Tiafoe in round two. A quarter-final against Alex de Minaur is possible.
Fils is seeded seventh. He starts against Pablo Carreno Busta. If he advances, he may meet third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarters. Tsitsipas plays Reilly Opelka first. Last year’s champion Casper Ruud is also back and starts against a qualifier. He might face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and then Holger Rune.
Monte Carlo prize money increased for 2025
The prize money for this year’s Monte Carlo Masters has gone up. The winner will take home €946,610. The runner-up will earn €516,925. Prize money in tennis keeps growing, especially at big events like this.
In 2023, Andrey Rublev won €892,590 in Monte Carlo. Last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas earned €919,075 for his win. Soon, the champion may earn over €1 million. The tournament continues to raise its rewards.
Top players earn a lot, but lower-ranked players still struggle. Many find it hard to cover travel and training costs. Novak Djokovic has spoken out about this. He wants fairer pay for all players.
Recently, top 20 players from both tours asked the Grand Slam events for more prize money. Wimbledon winners got £2.7 million last year. Still, many believe tennis should pay more, especially when compared to sports like basketball. The debate about prize money in tennis is not over.
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