Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the ‘PREMIER TWO’ of the Tour and better than rest claims Roger Federer’s ex-coach

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will battle out for #1 ranking at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the ‘PREMIER TWO’ of the Tour and better than rest claims Roger Federer’s ex-coach

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, Paul Annacone and Roger Federer(Images via: CNN, The New York Times)

Former tennis player and coach to 20-times Grand Slam Major winner Roger Federer, Paul Annacone recently featured on a podcast by The Tennis Channel. The 60-year-old, who has also coached former World No.1, Pete Sampras and 2017 US Open winner, Slone Stephens, shared his assessment of the top-ranked players in the ATP.

Annacone revealed that he looks at assessing the top seeds a little differently than the rest. He said that currently, the top-two players on the ATP’s rankings list, Novak Djokovic and 2-times Grand Slam champion, Carlos Alcaraz probably have an edge over others. Both Alcaraz and Djokovic will be seen in action at the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin, Italy which is set to begin on Sunday.

The American further revealed that the World No.3, Daniil Medvedev might also be a bit ahead of the others in his game. However, Annacone believes that the ranks from No.4 to No.15 are quite interchangeable. He stated in the Inside In podcast hosted by The Tennis Channel:

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I look at it as a premier two. I think [Carlos] Alcaraz and Novak [Djokovic] are a little bit better than everybody, and then I would probably give [Daniil] Medvedev the next tip of the cap

To elucidate his point further, Annacone shared that a person ranked between three and fifteen has a lot of scope for improvement. He added that this is what makes tennis an exciting game for the fans.

If I'm one of those guys between three or four and 15, I am thinking, 'There's a great opportunity for me out there'. I think as a fan it's exciting, I love watching it, Annacone said.

The highly anticipated ATP Finals event will begin with the robin-round matches on Sunday, the 12th of November. The tournament features an excellent line-up of elite players including the top six players in ATP ranking.

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Excitement builds up for the soon-to-begin ATP Finals which features Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

US Open winner, Novak Djokovic will look forward to defending his title at the ATP Finals event that is set to begin on Sunday. The season-ending tournament with $15 Million Prize money, will also feature Carlos Alcaraz who looks forward to reclaim his World No.1 ranking from the Serb.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev(Image via: FirstSportz)

The battle between the top two seeds for the No.1 rank has amped up the excitement amongst fans for the tournament. Djokovic however, is just a single-match win away from solidifying his current rank.

 The 2018 and 2021 tournament champ, Alexander Zverev will start his campaign for a third win at the tournament as the 7th seed. The 2019 title winner, Stefanos Tsitsipas who rate ATP Finals above Grand Slams has also made the cut despite his disastrous season this year.

Apart from this, the tournament will also feature Russian ace Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, China Open winner Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev. Holger Rune picks ATP Finals 2023 to exact revenge on Novak Djokovic after failing to defend his Paris Masters title.

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