Djokovic Withdraws from Doha, Alcaraz Confirmed to Compete

On February 11 local time, the ATP 500 event in Doha announced Djokovic's withdrawal, a decision that was not surprising given that he and his wife have been watching the Winter Olympics in Milan recently, and only ten days have passed since he lost to Alcaraz in the Australian Open final.

Djokovic File Photo

The Serbian star defeated world No. 2 Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals this year, demonstrating his ability to challenge the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz. However, he lost in four sets to world No. 1 Alcaraz in the final, missing the chance to claim a record 25th Grand Slam title and surpass Margaret Court’s record. This defeat likely influenced Djokovic’s decision to reconsider his upcoming schedule, leading to his withdrawal from next week’s Doha tournament.

Nonetheless, the Doha event remains star-studded, with the men’s singles lineup led by Alcaraz and Sinner. Other top players such as Aliassime, Rublev, and Medvedev will also participate, with Rublev as the defending champion. Reportedly, Alcaraz is currently training at home to prepare for Doha and will travel to the city by this Saturday, while Sinner has already arrived.

(Text and editing by Wang Fei, photos courtesy of Visual China)