Novak Djokovic Believes He Has ‘Better Chance’ to Beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in Masters 1000s

Novak Djokovic is bidding to win his fifth title at the Shanghai Masters, last winning in 2018.

Novak Djokovic Believes He Has ‘Better Chance’ to Beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in Masters 1000s

L-R: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Todo Sobre Tenis, The Tennis Letter)

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Novak Djokovic is all set for possibly his second-last tournament of the season. He is in Shanghai, bidding to win his second title of the season.

Djokovic is projected to lock horns with Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and could have faced Carlos Alcaraz in the final had the Spaniard participated in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season. Alcaraz, after clinching his maiden Japan Open title, withdrew from the tournament because of an ankle injury.

Alcaraz and Sinner have troubled Djokovic a lot in Grand Slam tournaments since 2024, as he has lost almost every match he played against them. This year, Sinner knocked him out in straight sets in the semifinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, while the World No.1 did the same in the US Open.

The Serb has found playing the top two players in the latter stages of the Grand Slam events challenging. But in the Masters 1000s, he believes he has a better chance of beating them. He said at the press conference:

I feel like I don’t come in as fresh as they do in the semis. That’s okay. I mean, that’s just a biological fact that eventually I have to accept. I’m still working my hardest that I possibly can in the circumstances to challenge the guys or to challenge myself primarily, and really see how I can do on all the tournaments that I take part in. The Masters events are played over almost two weeks. That’s where I feel I have a better chance, you know, to win a trophy or to make a significant result.

Against Sinner and Alcaraz, Djokovic holds a 4-6 and 5-4 head-to-head record. The four-time Grand Slam champion will be playing the Shanghai Masters as the defending champion (beat Djokovic last year). Sinner, who clinched his third title of the season at the China Open, will lock horns with Daniel Altmaier to kick-start his Shanghai Masters campaign. The last time he won a Masters 1000 was at last year’s Shanghai Open.

Novak Djokovic gives advice to youngsters

Novak Djokovic will kick-start his Shanghai Masters campaign on October 3 against his longtime rival Marin Cilic. The 24-time Grand Slam champion holds a 19-2 head-to-head record over the Croatian.

Novak Djokovic (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Novak Djokovic (via X/The Tennis Letter)

In Shanghai, Djokovic is aiming to win a record-extending 41 Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic holds several records, the most famous one being his 24th Grand Slam title tally. During the pre-tournament press conference in Shanghai, the Serb was asked about the one strength that youngsters can learn from him.

So I think probably it would be my versatility. I think that’s something that really allowed me to excel in my life, in my career, on all surfaces. I was really always looking to upgrade my game and really hide my flaws as much as I could. Not only hide them, but actually make them a strength rather than giving up because there’s just a shot that I don’t know how to hit. I’d work religiously on it to improve it.

The Shanghai Masters is his first tournament since the US Open. It was also his last tournament of the 2024 season. But this year, he has planned to feature in the first edition of the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship, scheduled to start on November 2 in Athens.

The last Masters 1000 title that he won was the 2023 Paris Masters. He had reached the final of the Miami Open this year but failed to go past Jakub Mensik. The ATP 250 Geneva Open is the only tournament Djokovic has won this year.

Also read: Jannik Sinner Gives his Take on the Debate Surrounding Increasingly Packed Tennis Schedule