Carlos Alcaraz has looked ahead to a potential blockbuster clash with Novak Djokovic at the Qatar Open and addressed the impact of the Serb’s presence in the draw.

Alcaraz is the top seed at the newly-upgraded ATP 500 tournament in Doha in the absence of world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who is unable to play after being given a three-month ban for failing doping tests.

The Spaniard is on the same side of the draw as Djokovic, who is the No 3 seed, which means the two stars could could face off in the semi-finals.

Djokovic delivered an outstanding display to defeat Alcaraz in four sets in the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month.

That was the eighth and latest installment in the fascinating inter-generational rivalry, with Djokovic holding a 5-3 head-to-head advantage.

Alcaraz is competing at the Qatar Open for the first time, while Djokovic is a two-time champion, having triumphed in 2016 and 2017 when the event was an ATP 250.

In an interview with AS, Alcaraz was asked what he would do differently in Doha if he faces Djokovic in an Australian Open rematch.

“This tournament is very tough, there are many very good players here and that speaks to the good tournament that Doha is,” he said (translated from Spanish).

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“In the end, you have to face the best if you want to be among them, so we are going to try to go round by round and give our best until we reach the semi-finals.

“He also has to see how he is after the injury, although he has been training very well; we will see how the tournament goes.

“A Grand Slam is different to a 500 and other tournaments, you have to approach it in the same way, perhaps some small changes to things that harmed us. But I think the level I played there was good, so above all I have to maintain it.”

The 21-year-old also addressed whether his mentality changes for an ATP 500 tournament featuring players such as Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev compared to a Grand Slam.

“Not at all, in the end it’s a similar tournament, there are great players, in Rotterdam it was also a good 500,” the four-time major winner explained.

“But the fact that there are those names, those players, doesn’t influence me at all.

“I would face them in the semi-finals or final, in the meantime we approach the tournament in the same way, with the same things, focusing on ourselves and trying to improve the things we have in mind.”

Alcaraz will make his Qatar Open debut against Marin Cilic, while Djokovic will take on Matteo Berrettini in his opening match.

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