Carlos Alcaraz sends a clear message to Novak Djokovic ahead of Miami Open debut

After falling in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells against Jack Draper, Carlos Alcaraz is focused on his next challenge. He will make his debut this Friday night at the Miami Open against David Goffin, and before that duel, he referred to the possibility of facing Novak Djokovic during the course of the competition.

“If you want to win the tournament you have to beat the best players, like Djokovic,” Alcaraz said during the press conference prior to the start of his participation in Miami. “We’re on the same side of the draw, hopefully we’ll both reach the semifinals… We’ll try and be in that position.”

However, the No. 3-ranked player in the ATP standings clarified that it is not yet time to focus on that. “In the end, this is a Masters 1000. There are still too many rounds to be thinking about the semis,” he explained. “And from the second round, there are already matches that are really fun to watch and tough to play. We’ll see what happens in the tournament on those days.”

Likewise, Alcaraz acknowledged that an eventual match against Djokovic would be a great spectacle. “As I said before, these are the matches that attract tennis fans because I think every time we play it’s fun to watch,” he said. “That’s what I try to do, to have a style or a type of tennis that people like.”

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Jack Draper of Great Britain in their Semifinal round match

He also spoke about what his current standing in tennis means: “I’m very happy to be one of the players that leads people to start playing tennis and to want to watch tennis matches for the first time… I don’t just play for myself and for my people, I also play so that the fans are entertained. It makes me happy to be a player who contributes to tennis in that way.”

see also

Carlos Alcaraz makes his stance clear in Novak Djokovic’s PTPA sue against tennis governing bodies

Alcaraz reflects on his 2025 performance

At the same press conference, Carlos Alcaraz analyzed his performance in 2025. “I’ve won one tournament (ATP 500 Rotterdam) out of the four I’ve played. I think there are good results, a good level and a good rhythm despite some painful defeats.”

Those defeats the Spanish tennis player referred to include the quarterfinal eliminations at the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic and at the Qatar Open against Jiri Lehecka, as well as the recent loss to Jack Draper in the semifinals at Indian Wells. “I’m happy because I’m improving. I’m maturing, I’m on the right path, and that’s the path I have to keep following. Good things will come, or I’m hopeful they will,” Alcaraz added.

What’s next for Carlos Alcaraz?

This Friday night, Carlos Alcaraz will make his Miami Open debut against Belgium’s David Goffin in the round of 64. Should he win, his next challenge in the round of 32 could be Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena or American Brandon Nakashima.