Around the World in...Two Days: Carlos Alcaraz set to play exhibition match against Roberto Bautista Agut day after beating Djokovic in Riyadh
ATP
Despite Carlos Alcaraz not playing any warm-up tournaments for the Australian Open, there is no stopping the Spaniard when it comes to exhibitions with the Wimbledon champion set to play in one just over a day after playing Novak Djokovic in Riyadh.
Alcaraz took down the Serbian kingpin 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Saudi Arabia and while Djokovic like many will now head to Australia to prepare for the United Cup where he will play in the New Year in his only warm-up as he aims to anchor Serbia to glory which they couldn't do in the Davis Cup, it is back home for 'Carlitos'.
Race around the World for Carlitos
But as the phrase goes, there's no rest for the wicked and for Alcaraz, he will play hours after he touches down back home in Murcia. He will take on Roberto Bautista Agut in an exhibition match on December 28.
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Initially pencilled in for around 6:30pm Spanish time, this was later corrected to around 8:30pm local time meaning that the race around the world has added two extra hours on. Fans in the comments were scathing though saying that there shouldn't be any excuses when he is out of gas in Melbourne and another said in response to questioning on how he will get from Riyadh to Murcia in time that he doesn't have to wait in queues to get on planes or go through customs so he will be fine.
Either way, it is a huge undertaking from Alcaraz, but perhaps necessary given his lack of game time between now and mid January with the Spaniard instead deciding to play the post Australian South American swing instead on Clay.
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Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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