Novak Djokovic, a two-time champion, could face rising star Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, according to the official draw. This year's tournament has been upgraded to an ATP 500 event, further solidifying Doha's position in the world of professional tennis.

Alcaraz, the top seed and tournament debutant, begins his Doha campaign against Marin Cilic. Alcaraz holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against Cilic, their most recent encounter being a five-set victory for Alcaraz in the fourth round of the 2022 US Open. Cilic has yet to play this season due to a knee injury.

Djokovic, aiming for his third Doha title (which would tie Roger Federer's record), faces a challenging opening match against Matteo Berrettini. Djokovic has a perfect 4-0 record against Berrettini in tour-level matches, including the 2021 Wimbledon final. This marks Djokovic's first competitive appearance since withdrawing from his Australian Open semifinal match due to injury. He will also participate in doubles with Fernando Verdasco, which will be Verdasco's final tournament.

In the other half of the draw, second-seeded Alex de Minaur, fresh off his defeat to Alcaraz in the Rotterdam final, will play Roman Safiullin in his first Doha match. A potential quarterfinal opponent for de Minaur is former Doha champion, Andrey Rublev.

Daniil Medvedev, currently competing in Marseille, will travel to Doha to face Karen Khachanov, setting up a clash of former Doha champions. Medvedev won the title in 2023, while Khachanov was victorious in 2022. The winner of this match could face sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. Tsitsipas opens against Medjedovic, with a potential second-round matchup against Felix Auger-Aliassime.