Carlos Alcaraz proud to be Novak Djokovic’s ‘main opponent’ as the Spaniard talks of their growing rivalry

The young Spaniard is cherishing the fight for number one spot against Novak Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz proud to be Novak Djokovic’s ‘main opponent’ as the Spaniard talks of their growing rivalry

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (Credit: ESPN)

Two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz has arguably been the best candidate from the so-called Next-Generation of tennis players to the dominance of the Big-3 of tennis. The world number one won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open Championships. Following the win, Alcaraz became the youngest man in history and the first teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings at 19 years, four months, and six days old.

Recently, the Spaniard put on a spine-tingling performance to beat the favorite, Novak Djokovic, in the final of Wimbledon. The 20-year-old arguably bested Djokovic at his own game. Alcaraz trumped Djokovic in a five-set marathon with exceptional court coverage and shot variation. Djokovic praised the Spaniard in his post-match conference and said he had the best of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.

YouTube video

Speaking to the press before his first-round match at the Cincinnati Masters, Alcaraz embraced his rivalry with the 23-time Grand Slam champion. Talking about the fight for the number one spot against Djokovic, Alcaraz said, “I like those battles. I like to know that I can lose, and I can recover at the same time. Of course, you have to enjoy when the battle is against one of the legends from our sport, against Novak.” Alcaraz further said that he believes that he’s the main opponent for, Djokovic.

FS Video

Alcaraz said about his goals for the season, “For me right now, the main goal is to stay in the top spot, and if I lose it, try to recover it as fast as I can. It’s something that helped me a lot to show my best level in the big tournaments.” If Alcaraz suffers a defeat before the quarters, Djokovic could walk out of Cincinnati Masters as the world No. 1 by reaching the final.

Related: Daniil Medvedev explains why despite Carlos Alcaraz being an ‘extra risk’, he is not thinking too much about the Spaniard

Carlos Alcaraz ready to put behind the disappointment of early exit at the National Bank Open

IMG COM 20230717 0125 36 6012
Carlos Alcaraz after winning Wimbledon 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

The reigning Wimbledon Champion and World Number One Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat in the quarter-final of the National Bank Open. The 12th-ranked American Tommy Paul beat the Spaniard in 3 sets. The Spaniard struggled to find his best game throughout the tournament and was finally defeated by Paul in his second victory against Alcaraz.

Speaking to the press at the pre-tournament conference in Cincinnati, Alcaraz said, “I have to overcome that week that I had in Toronto, try to play better here, and try to do better the things that I did badly in Toronto.” Talking about his first practice session in Cincinnati, Alcaraz remarked, “All the fans were there enjoying the practice. So far, I’m enjoying my time here in Cincinnati.”

The Spaniard will face the qualifier Jordan Thompson in his first match at the Cincinnati Masters. Alcaraz was awarded a bye in the opening round in Cincinnati. The Tournament would serve as an ideal preparation for Alcaraz to defend his title at the US Open starting 28th August.

In case you missed it :