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Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul are set for a thrilling duel yet again, this time at an exhibition event in Mexico.
After a highly successful 2022 edition which saw Rafael Nadal take on Casper Ruud, it is now confirmed that Alcaraz will be headlining the Tennis Fest in Mexico City this year. The event will take place on November 29 at the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) Mexico.
Tennis fans in Mexico will be thrilled to have the two-time Grand Slam champion take part in the event. They missed out on a chance to watch Alcaraz in action earlier this year after he pulled out of the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco due to injury.
The Spaniard was to take the court against his archnemesis Jannik Sinner in the upcoming exhibition event as per earlier reports.
However, it has now been announced that Carlos Alcaraz will be battling it out against Tommy Paul, who was the runner-up at the ATP 500 in Acapulco this season. The American also happens to be one of the only six people to have defeated Alcaraz in 2023.
It has been reported that the match will be the only exhibition event Alcaraz takes part in this year.
Another highlight of the upcoming Tennis Fest in Mexico City will be the women’s duel. Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who recently came out of retirement, will lock horns with Maria Sakkari, the newly crowned WTA 1000 Guadalajara champion.
Tommy Paul on his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz: "You never want to walk on court and be like 'I don't know if I can beat this guy'"
Tommy Paul and Carlos Alcaraz’s exhibition event promises to be a barnburner if their previous matches are anything to go by. The pair shares an intense on-court rivalry, and are leveled at 2-2 in their head-to-head record.
The two first clashed at the 2022 Canadian Open, where Paul stunned Alcaraz by pulling off an upset despite being match points down.
In 2023, the duo have faced each other thrice so far, with the Spaniard winning twice - in Miami and Cincinnati. Paul, meanwhile, got the better of Alcaraz at the Canadian Open once again this year.
Carlos Alcaraz was all praise for the American after his 2023 Canadian Open defeat.
"He's certainly a complete player. You know, the matches that we have played has been really tough ones. He's a really solid player. Has great talent, great shots. You know, he's really, really fast as well. So he's one of the best players in the world right now. I mean, he's a mix of everything," the World No. 2 said in a press conference.
Tommy Paul, meanwhile, shared his approach to facing the otherwise indomitable Spaniard after the win.
"It helps knowing you can beat your opponent," Paul said. "You never want to walk on court & be like 'I don’t know if I can beat this guy.' It’s kind of the attitude you’ve got to have no matter who you’re playing," he said.
Alcaraz and Paul will next be seen in action at the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing. They are drawn in different halves and will only face each other if they reach the final.
