Carlos Alcaraz And Novak Djokovic Play Intense Monte-Carlo Practice Set
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Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are probably feeling more confident about their 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters chances after playing a high-quality practice set together.
Both men received byes in the opening round because they were among the Top 8 seeds at the event. That might have persuaded them to play a practice set to stay sharp before starting their campaigns.
Alcaraz and Djokovic also did this at the 2025 Australian Open. Djokovic narrowly won that practice set after playing better in the pivotal moments. Just under two weeks later, the Serbian defeated his younger rival in the quarterfinal of the season's opening Grand Slam.
On this occasion, the ATP stars did not get a chance to finish the set. However, Djokovic managed to secure the moral victory of being ahead on the scoreboard when both men decided not to push themselves further.
Footage of their practice can be viewed below. The intensity of the hitting is superb and feels like they are playing an actual match. Both men gave 100% effort and took it as seriously as an official contest.
Alcaraz was 4-2 up after keeping his unforced errors count slightly more in check than the 37-year-old's. The Spaniard has had some issues with his forehand at recent tournaments, but it looked good during the practice.
Djokovic then got even better in the final few games of the practice. He rattled off three consecutive games and was leading 5-4 when they ended the practice. While the training was intense, both men were also in good spirits throughout.
It is difficult to gauge how either man would perform against the other in the Monte-Carlo Masters main draw based on the practice session. The feeling of a match in front of a large crowd differs from a practice session.
However, the pair did play well throughout the practice, reinforcing why they are among the top favorites to win the title in Monte-Carlo. That might have been good for them, considering their recent records at the tournament.
Alcaraz has never won a match at the event. He suffered an unexpected loss in 2022 and missed the 2023 and 2024 iterations due to injuries. The 21-year-old hopes to banish those memories at this year's iteration.
Djokovic won the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2013 and 2015. His run to the 2024 semifinal was the first time he had been to that stage since last winning the title 10 years ago, showing how he has struggled at the venue in the last decade.
Alcaraz will try to play more freely than in recent tournaments. The four-time Grand Slam champion admitted that managing the pressure of Jannik Sinner being suspended since February 9th and the possibility of overtaking him at No. 1 was challenging.
Sinner's return is scheduled for the 2025 Italian Open next month. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev and No. 3 Alcaraz have three more tournaments until then to close the gap to Sinner at No. 1 in the rankings.
Alcaraz has committed to competing at the Monte-Carlo Masters, 2025 Barcelona Open, and 2025 Madrid Open before the Italian Open begins.
