Alex Corretja feels Novak Djokovic is up against ‘tougest draw’ as the 6-time champion is drawn to face Holger Rune at ATP Finals opener

Alex Corretja states Novak Djokovic has a tough draw, as the Serbian will face Holger Rune in the first round of the ATP Finals.

Alex Corretja feels Novak Djokovic is up against ‘tougest draw’ as the 6-time champion is drawn to face Holger Rune at ATP Finals opener

Alex Corretja, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic ( Discovery Sports, Reuters and Eurosport)

Former World No. 2 and retired Spanish tennis professional Alex Corretja expressed his views on the tough draw that the Paris Masters champion, Novak Djokovic, is put in for the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin.

The 6-time ATP Finals champion, Novak Djokovic, will take on World No. 6 Holger Rune in the opening round of the ATP Finals. The duo recently played each other in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, where the Serbian won their clash in a thrilling straight set. 

Talking about the level of Djokovic’s draw, Alex Corretja talked about his draw against young talent Holger Rune and home favorite Jannik Sinner.

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I think it’s the toughest draw that Novak could face in the opening round, playing against Holger.

H/T: Alex Corretja in an interview with Eurosport
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As the US Open champion goes to defend his title at the ATP Finals this year, the 24-time Grand Slam title champion will have to face a tough draw to win his 7th title, surpassing the Swiss legend Roger Federer himself. For the uninitiated, Novak Djokovic has Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas in his draw.

As Novak Djokovic will prepare to face a tough opponent in his first round itself, Alex Corretja mentioned: 

It's not that easy because maybe the first day in a regular tournament, you have the feeling that you are playing maybe a top 40 or top 50 guy. [But] you're going to play someone who has beaten you.

The former World No. 2 also added how the 7-time Wimbledon champion thrived on such tight and challenging matches, as his experience will surely help him survive these moments.

Holger Rune will look to avenge his Paris Masters defeat against Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic will face Holger Rune in the opening round of the tournament. This would be their second encounter in recent times. The two faced off against each other in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, where the Serbian legend prevailed victorious in a three-set thriller. Djokovic ousted Rune, the defending champion, at the Paris Masters, and the Dane will look to oust the defending champion at the ATP Finals as well. 

Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic
Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic ( Credits: ATP Tour)

Alex Corretja also discussed how both the players having played each other at numerous occasions will have a basic understanding of each others’ playing style. He further added: 

Because the way they know each other, Holger feels that he can beat Novak. At the same time, definitely Novak knows better than anyone else how to deal with those moments.

Alex Corretja also discussed how both players, having played each other on numerous occasions, will have a basic understanding of each other’s playing style. He further added:

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