Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz square off for the fifth time in 2023 in the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup exhibition match on December 27. The event is part of an annual festival that features a long list of sports stars and concerts.
Riyadh Season is a yearly state-funded sports and entertainment fest. It kicked off on October 28 with a bout between boxer Tyson Fury and UFC fighter Francis Ngannou. The Djokovic vs. Alcaraz tennis match is joined by other events involving soccer, MMA, Boxing, and WWE until March 2024. Musicians like Post Malone and Timmy Trumpet also headlined concerts.
The tennis fixture will be held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, which can hold 40,000 spectators. The top two in the ATP rankings will take to the court at 6:00 p.m. local time (10:00 a.m. ET) on Wednesday, December 27. Tickets are still available, starting from 100 Saudi Riyals, with the most expensive ones selling for 1000 SAR on WeBook. British network DAZN has acquired worldwide streaming rights. It will primarily stream the match in the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, and India. The broadcaster, though, listed the start time for the match as 10:45 a.m. ET for the USA and Canada.
There has been no official reveal of how much Djokovic and Alcaraz stand to earn from this exhibition event. However, it would be safe to assume both will receive a bumper payment regardless of the result. This is Djokovic’s only off-season game and he will soon turn his attention to the United Cup. He plays his first fixture in the team tournament on December 31. Alcaraz, meanwhile, will reportedly feature in no build-up events and directly take part in the 2024 Australian Open.
WTA stars kickstarted the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup before Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
The Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz clash is not the only tennis event scheduled in the Riyadh Season calendar. WTA World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka took on Arab icon Ons Jabeur on Tuesday, December 26. The Belarusian player was in the neighbouring country of the United Arab Emirates, playing in the 2023 World Tennis League. She represented team Kites, along with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Grigor Dimitrov, and best friend Paula Badosa, her team, Kites. In the final on December 24, they finished runner-up.
However, Sabalenka had a better outing in Riyadh. She defeated Jabeur in a thrilling three-set match despite having lost the first set. The duo played some enthralling tennis, with the reigning Australian Open champion also hitting a tweener shot. Jabeur won a see-saw opener after both players broke each other. However, the Tunisian lost her way to lose 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Fans will hope that Djokovic and Alcaraz serve up a similarly intriguing encounter. If their four previous clashes in 2023 are anything to go by, viewers are guaranteed to get their money’s worth.
