Alcaraz Sets Sights on Rotterdam and Doha

Having put the Australian Open behind him, where he faced a quarter-final defeat against Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz now targets the tournaments in Rotterdam and Doha as his next stops on the calendar.

The Murcian, back home after a disappointing result in Melbourne, will compete next week in the Rotterdam tournament, a 500 category event. It will be his first appearance in the Dutch city, having previously opted for the South American clay court tour.

Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro were the two tournaments he played in the past two years. With his contract with both ending in 2024, Alcaraz has chosen not to return to South America, a logical decision to avoid changing surfaces. In previous years, Alcaraz switched from hard courts at the start of the year to clay in February and back to hard courts in March. With this new schedule, he can spend more days at home and play on hard courts from Australia until April, when the European clay court tour begins.

In Rotterdam, Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, has withdrawn. The Italian, fresh from retaining his title in Australia, doesn't need the points or the wear and tear, as he leads Alexander Zverev by over 3,000 points and Alcaraz by over 4,000 in the ATP rankings. Without Sinner, Alcaraz will be the top favourite in a draw that also includes Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Minaur.

After Rotterdam, Alcaraz will play in Doha (from 17th to 22nd February), marking his first participation in the Qatari tournament now upgraded from ATP250 to ATP500. In Qatar's capital, he will reunite with Sinner and also with Djokovic, provided the Serbian has recovered from the muscle tear he suffered in Melbourne. To dispel sceptics, the Belgrade native recently published an X-ray of his thigh, showing the tear with which he defeated Alcaraz in the quarters and which forced him to withdraw in the semi-finals against Zverev.

These two events will serve as preparation for the year's first two Masters 1000, Indian Wells (5th to 16th March) and Miami (19th to 30th March). Alcaraz defends his title in Indian Wells and a quarter-final in Miami, putting 1,200 of his current 7,010 points at stake.

The player from El Palmar also knows what it means to win both titles, though not consecutively, a feat known as the Sunshine Double, achieved by only seven men and four women in history. Alcaraz won Miami in 2022 and Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024.