Carlos Alcaraz is shaking things up in 2025, adding some surprising new tournaments to his schedule – including one that’s attracting tennis’s biggest stars.
The 20-year-old Spanish sensation is skipping his usual South American clay court swing after the Australian Open. It’s a pretty big change from his previous years.
In the past, Alcaraz dominated those South American tournaments. He grabbed titles at the Rio Open in 2022 and the Argentina Open in 2023. But 2024 wasn’t so kind – he left without any trophies and picked up an ankle injury in Rio that forced him to quit after just two games.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| es Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Maybe that’s why he’s trying something new in 2025.
Instead of heading to South America, he’ll make his debut at the Rotterdam Open. Now he’s added another first-time appearance to his calendar – the Qatar Open in Doha.
And he won’t be alone. The tournament, newly upgraded to ATP 500 status, has pulled in some serious star power.
Both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have already signed up. That’s pretty impressive when you consider these three players have won the last 10 Grand Slams between them.
The tournament runs February 17-23, and Qatar Open director Karim Alami couldn’t be happier about landing Alcaraz.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Carlos to Doha for the first time,” Alami said. “His presence really shows how our tournament has grown on the global tennis stage.”
“He’s just phenomenal to watch – the kind of player who gets fans excited just by stepping on court.”
After Doha, Alcaraz might head to Dubai for another ATP 500 event starting February 24th. Many players like to play both tournaments since they’re so close together.
Then it’s on to the big ones – the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells (March 5) and Miami (March 19). These Masters 1000 tournaments are always highlights of the tennis calendar, and you can bet Alcaraz will be there looking to add to his trophy collection.
This new schedule shows how Alcaraz is evolving his approach. Instead of sticking to the clay courts where he first made his name, he’s challenging himself on different surfaces against the world’s best players.
