Cilic excited to play Alcaraz: "It's a great challenge".

Marin Cilic launches his 2025 season at the ATP 500 Doha late, due to a knee injury.

The Croatian was not so lucky in the draw, as he will face Carlos Alcaraz in the first round.

However, Cilic is excited about the prospect of facing the Spaniard and is looking forward to the tennis season ahead.

He declares: "It's interesting to see how the pieces fit together, what better way for me to start the season!

I want to play a lot more matches with the best in the world, so this match is a great challenge.

I really enjoy watching Carlos play, and I hope our meeting will be fun.

We know each other well because we've played a few times; it's incredible how successful he is.

A fantastic, creative player who will lead world tennis for many years to come.

There were times when I wondered if all the effort to overcome the injuries was worth it.

I've had a lot of disappointments, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that I want to keep trying to be competitive again."