Swift Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz rematch could be on the cards as both confirmed for Masters event
Novak Djokovic will play in the United States for the first time since 2021 with the tennis great confirmed for the Cincinnati Open and there could well be a Wimbledon final rematch as Carlos Alcaraz is also on the entry list.
23-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic has not competed in North America since the 2021 US Open final when he lost against Daniil Medvedev as foreign nationals who were not vaccinated against Covid-19 were banned from entering the United States.
It meant he missed the 2021 Indian Wells Open and Miami Open as well as the summer hard-court swing, which included the Cincinnati Open and US Open. There were high hopes that he would feature at this year’s Sunshine Double in March, but the change in regulations came too late for Indian Wells and Miami.
With the regulations updated, Djokovic is once again allowed to enter the United States and he will feature at the ATP Masters 1000 event, which runs from August 14-20, having confirmed his participation after Wimbledon.
Djokovic is a two-time Western & Southern Open champion having won the trophy in 2018 and 2020.
Victory this year will see the 36-year-old become the oldest man to win the title, but he will face tough competition with world No 1 and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz also set to return.
Although the seedings for the event are yet to be confirmed, Alcaraz and Djokovic are expected to be seeded No 1 and No 2 so will only be able to meet in the final, should they both reach the showpiece match.
The duo have played three times with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 2-1 with two matches coming on clay and one on grass. Two of the matches have taken place in the past month as Djokovic won their semi-final at Roland Garros before Alcaraz won at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz reached the quarter-final last year as he lost in three sets against Cameron Norrie.
The rest of the entry list features defending champion Borna Coric and former champions Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimtirov, Marin Cilic and Andy Murray.
2017 runner-up Nick Kyrgios is also on the list despite playing very little tennis so far this year as he missed the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
“As one of the premier tournaments in the world, it’s not surprising to see an elite field enter for the chance to win the Western & Southern Open,” tournament director Todd Martin said.
“We look forward to these world-class players coming to Cincinnati to write another chapter in this event’s rich history while they aspire to win one of the most important events of their season.”
READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz’s 2023 tennis schedule: Where and when will he compete after Wimbledon heartbreak?
