Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry has Daniela Hantuchova on toes, compares the Spaniard to Roger Federer
The Spanish prodigy competing against the tennis legend will be much watch games according to Hantuchova
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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniela Hantuchova
Former women’s World No.5 Daniela Hantuchova is looking forward to matches between 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz. She believes the style of Djokovic is perfect for causing Alcaraz problems no one else has caused him. Hantuchova also reserved praise for Alcaraz, comparing him to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Hantuchova said, “Maybe Novak will have solutions against him and it will be fascinating to see. He’s not there (the Serbian is not allowed to travel to the United States due to his vaccination situation and will also be absent in Miami), so we don’t talk about him, but he is such a champion amazing.” She went on to explain the difference between Djokovic and other elite players.
“He[Djokovic] can take the ball when it goes up, as soon as Carlos, he will have a say in this sector. He stays much closer to his baseline than a (Daniil) Medvedev, he has the speed to respond to dropshots, and he has the experience. Everyone wants to see this match now. And I think Djokovic will be ready for that.”
Hantuchova also compared the Spanish prodigy to the ‘Big Three’ of tennis. She said that Alcaraz possesses an attack like that of Swiss legend Roger Federer. She also said he has the defence of Rafael Nadal. Hantuchova stated, “Carlos is from another planet. He has everything. I feel like he has the attack of Roger (Federer) and the defence of Rafa (Nadal). With his speed and the way he moves, he manages to hit shots we never thought possible.” She also believed that Alcaraz would be the player to take up the mantle from the ‘Big Three.’
Djokovic and Alcaraz have played against each other once before. Alcaraz got the better of Djokovic at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid tournament in 2022. He came back from a first set 6-7(5) loss to win the semifinal clash. The Spaniard went on to win the tournament. They have not competed against each other on the court since but have still been competing in the rankings.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s battle for ATP Number 1
Djokovic ended Carlos Alcaraz’s hold on the ATP No.1 rank in January. The Serbian lifted the 2023 Australian Open championship, the 10th of his career and raced to the top spot. But Alcaraz was expecting to lose the spot, with runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas also having the chance to be No.1 had he won in Melbourne.
Alcaraz’s injury on the eve of the 2023 Australian Open put his top ranking under immediate threat. And the fears ended up being validated with Djokovic displacing him and having the chance to race clear by the time Alcaraz returned. But Alcaraz has turned things around and has returned better than before.
The Spaniard won the Argentina Open, the first tournament on his return. He then reached the finals of the Rio Open, where he narrowly lost. These achievements put him within touching distance of Djokovic. With Djokovic only playing one tournament since Melbourne, the top spot was Alcaraz’s to lose. He reached his destiny by clinching the Indian Wells Masters on the 20th of March to reclaim the ATP World No.1 tag.
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Samarth Srivastava
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