“It’s not easy to beat Novak,” Carlos Alcaraz weighs in on the possibility of replicating his 2023 Wimbledon win over Novak Djokovic after a heartbreaking loss at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz was the only player to defeat Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam match in 2023.

“It’s not easy to beat Novak,” Carlos Alcaraz weighs in on the possibility of replicating his 2023 Wimbledon win over Novak Djokovic after a heartbreaking loss at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (Image via: Open source)

Possibly the most difficult thing in the sport of tennis right now is to beat Novak Djokovic in a match, especially in a Grand Slam. The Serb has been the ‘final boss’ of the sport for quite some time now and plans to be so for a few more years. 

However, he is a mere mortal after all, and Carlos Alcaraz showed it to the world last season when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. That, by the way, was his only loss in a Grand Slam match in 2023. 

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Needless to say, Alcaraz’s run in the tournament has come to a halt after his loss against Alexander Zverev in the semi-final. The German also defeated Alcaraz in the group stage of the 2023 ATP Finals and has a good record against the Spaniard.

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After his early loss, the 21-year-old was asked whether there is another player who he thinks can defeat Novak Djokovic, to which he answered that it’s difficult but possible. 

Well, I think the players that are in the semifinals have the level to beat him. Let's see.It's not easy to beat Novak in a tournament, but I think it's even tougher in a Grand Slam.
Alcaraz said via post match conference

Furthermore, as per the World No. 2 himself, Novak’s very next match against Jannik Sinner is going to be difficult. The Italian has been in great form for the last couple of months and will win a number of trophies in the later half of 2023. His performance at the 2023 Paris Masters was impeccable. 

But he has to face Jannik Sinner, that he's playing an unbelievable game. He has not dropped a set in this tournament. That means that he has the level and the capacity to beat Novak. So let's see. I'm gonna watch the matches, of course. And yeah, I think the players that are in this stage has the level to beat him.
Continuing further, he added

Jannik Sinner has a chance of defeating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final 

Before November 2023, Jannik Sinner had not defeated Novak Djokovic even once in his career. Standing today, however, he has a 2-4 record against the Serb.

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner (Credits: Imago)

He defeated Novak for the first time in their group stage match at the 2023 Paris Masters and then in the Davis Cup, but failed to repeat that in the final of the 2023 ATP Finals. Right now, he is in the form of his life and has not dropped even a single set in the Australian Open so far. 

Sinner seems to be the guy who is the closest to defeating Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam, and that could be in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Their match is definitely one that fans are looking forward to. Although it will be extremely difficult, Sinner has a real chance of defeating Novak Djokovic. 

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