“Novak suffocates you but Carlos…” Alexandre Muller reveals the striking difference between facing Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
ATP star Alexandre Muller weighed in on the difference he experienced while facing Novak Djokovic to Carlos Alcaraz.
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Alexandre Muller, (in circle) Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (via ATP/Olympics)
ATP star Alexandre Muller has revealed that playing against Novak Djokovic is totally suffocating compared to playing Carlos Alcaraz. The World No. 70 fell short two years ago in a one-sided contest against Djokovic at the US Open.
Muller has not forgotten his 2023 US Open meeting with Djokovic at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Frenchman was optimistic about causing Djokovic some trouble during the match, but that didn’t go as planned. Djokovic emphatically beat Muller, dropping just five games in a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 rout in the first round.
However, the Frenchman had a different feeling when he played against Alcaraz at Wimbledon in July the same year. During the match, on several occasions, Muller punished Alcaraz, but eventually went on to lose 4-6, 6(2)-7, 3-6. Alcaraz went on to clinch the Wimbledon title after beating Djokovic in the final, winning the five-ser epic thriller.
During a recent interview, Muller revealed that he felt relaxed when playing Alcaraz while Djokovic constantly suffocated him when they met at the 2023 US Open.
Facing Novak, the truth is that I have never had this feeling on a tennis court since. It was totally suffocating. The guy leaves you nothing, not a crumb, it’s horrible. I played Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, it was almost relaxed, Carlos lets you breathe a little, Novak, he suffocates you constantly.Alexandre Muller said via WeLoveTennis
Alcaraz and Djokovic met in the 2024 Wimbledon final, with Alcaraz beating the Serbian in a straight set to claim his fourth Grand Slam. However, Djokovic earned his revenge against the Spaniard at the Paris Olympics singles final. The 37-year-old claimed the elusive gold medal at the Games.
Novak Djokovic focused on playing Grand Slams and representing Serbia in national events
Novak Djokovic has not featured in any Tour match since his third-round exit at the US Open. The Serbian lost to Alexei Popyrin in four sets. The defeat also meant that he would end the season without winning the Grand Slam for the first time since 2017.
This season, Djokovic focused more on playing in Grand Slam and representing Serbia. He represented his country at the Paris Olympics and Davis Cup. Following his exhibition match with Grigor Dimitrov in Sofia on Tuesday (September 17), he shared his new agenda for the years ahead.
It's true that I'm focused pretty much solely on Grand Slams and Olympics this year and playing for my country, really. That's something that really drives me the most today. But yeah, it is becoming a little bit more challenging for me to push myself every single tournament to be really at the top.Novak Djokovic said via Daily Express
Djokovic will be back in action at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in October. It will be the Serbian’s first appearance at the tournament since 2019. After Shanghai, he plays the Paris Masters 1000 tournament.
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Victor Okechukwu
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