Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on collision course as pair handed nightmare draw | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz could meet each other in the second round of the 2025 Davis Cup qualifying after Serbia and Spain were drawn on the same side of the bracket.
The pair have become familiar foes in recent years, facing off in back-to-back Wimbledon finals, as well as several high-profile encounters in different competitions.
Alongside the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals, Djokovic and Alcaraz went head-to-head in the Olympic gold medal match at this summer’s Games – a tie that went the way of the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
But it was Alcaraz who finished the tennis season on top, having taken two of the four Slams on offer, including his second consecutive Wimbledon triumph over Djokovic.
While the chances of the two meeting as individuals a number of times throughout the 2025 season remain high, tennis fans might already be guaranteed the next instalment of Djokovic vs Alcaraz, should Serbia and Spain win their respective Davis Cup openers.
That’s because the two will meet each other in the second round of the competition if Serbia sees off Denmark and Spain get the better of Switzerland at the 2025 Davis Cup.
Spain and Serbia, along with the other nations competing in the Davis Cup qualifiers are all battling to earn a spot at the competition’s finals in November 2025.
Spain reached the last eight this year, but were ultimately knocked out by eventual runners-up the Netherlands at the event in Malaga.
Should they replicate that feat this time around, the Spanish team, which is expected to include Alcaraz, will have lost home advantage, given Turin has been selected as the new host city for 2025.
Great Britain will also be vying for a spot in the quarter-finals having missed out last time around, with the Brits handed a potentially tricky tie against Japan.
Win that and their September 2025 second-round qualifier will be against either Germany or Israel.
Other notable ties include Germany vs Sweden, Norway vs Argentina and Brazil vs France.
Full Davis Cup 2025 first round draw:
Norway vs Argentina
Australia vs Sweden
Chile vs Belgium
Canada vs Hungary
Austria vs Finland
Germany vs Israel
Japan vs Great Britain
United States vs Chinese Taipei
Korea vs Czech Republic
Serbia vs Denmark
Switzerland vs Spain
Croatia vs Slovakia
Brazil vs France
First-round qualifying ties will take place in February, shortly after the completion of the Australian Open.
