WATCH: Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz share a joint practice at the 2023 ATP Finals following their Paris session

Alcaraz and Djokovic will fight to finish the year in the No. 1 position. 

WATCH: Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz share a joint practice at the 2023 ATP Finals following their Paris session

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz(Images via @TennisTV/X and NPR)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz share a joint practice session at the 2023 ATP Finals after their week in Paris. While Alcaraz had an early exit at Bercy, Djokovic saw the tournament through to the end and eventually won the title. The Serb had to come to Turin after a break for a few days after his Paris stint.

Novak Djokovic aims to complete the season as the World No. 1. If he does so, he will become the first player to complete the season on top for eight years. Fortunately for the Serb, this goal is not that big of a stretch to accomplish. He just needs to win one round-robin match if he wishes to retain his No. 1 position. 

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He is also on the right path to do so. The Serb has not dropped a match since his Wimbledon loss to Alcaraz. However, this poses a problem for Carlos Alcaraz, who also desires to complete the season on the top step.

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Despite their obvious rivalry, the duo was seen in a joint practice session ahead of the ATP Finals. They were videoed on the courts of Turin, Italy. It is not uncommon for players to practice on the courts ahead of a tournament. This helps them get a feel for what they are up against, especially in an event of such high caliber as the year-end finals.

This year’s edition of the ATP Finals will prove to be quite a thriller. With an evenly balanced draw, anyone might rise to the top. With Djokovic’s years of experience at the event and Alcaraz’s first appearance, it will truly be a battle of the generations. 

The Serb leads the Green Group, and the Spaniard leads the Red Group. Therefore, while they may not get the chance to compete in the round-robin stages, they are definitely favorites to reach the finals in their respective groups.

Paul Annacone establishes that Carlos Alcaraz is always going to have Novak Djokovic in his way

Roger Federer’s former coach, Paul Annacone, revealed that Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero know that Novak Djokovic is always going to be in their way. Djokovic and Alcaraz have had quite the rivalry this season. The duo have bagged all the Grand Slams this year, with Djokovic’s threevs.s Alcaraz’s one at Wimbledon.

Paul Annacone, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcarz
Paul Annacone(L), Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz(R) (Image via The Telegraph and Novak Djokovic)

He said: 

I think Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero do such a good job at looking at the Macro, that they're going to focus on the big picture. And they know that the journey is going to have Novak in front of them for the time being.

The Alcaraz-Djokovic rivalry has been the central point of attention for tennis audiences this season.

However, Alcaraz has had a disappointing couple of months. Since his semi-final campaign at the US Open, where he was the defending champion, he has not had a successful tournament. Djokovic, on the other hand, has been bagging titles at almost all the tournaments he has competed in.

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