“He’s paying as good as he can play!” Novak Djokovic HAILS Carlos Alcaraz’s rise and is ready to take him head-on in Rome

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic welcomes rising star Carlos Alcaraz to the big leagues, gearing up for a thrilling clash in Rome.

“He’s paying as good as he can play!” Novak Djokovic HAILS Carlos Alcaraz’s rise and is ready to take him head-on in Rome

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (Images via TennisWorld, The Gurdian)

The six-time Italian Open champion, Novak Djokovic, is back in Rome and competing for his seventh title. He is set to face Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the Round of 64. In a recent interview, Novak Djokovic spoke about his match against Andy Murray in the semifinals of the 2011 Italian Open being his most memorable match.

Djokovic also talked about Rafael Nadal’s dominance in the tournament over the years. Djokovic was asked how he felt about facing Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament. Novak Djokovic mentioned that it was only possible if both of them made it to the finals. Novak Djokovic expressed that he would love to play in the finals against Carlos Alcaraz, but he did not want to talk too much about the match as it would be disrespectful to the other players.

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This is the first time in 2023 that Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are in the same draw. Carlos Alcaraz did not play in Australia, whereas Djokovic did not play in the States and Madrid. Djokovic has always been highly appreciative of Carlos Alcaraz as a player. “He’s paying as good as he can play!” said Djokovic. In other interviews, Novak Djokovic mentioned that Carlos Alcaraz is the man to beat on the clay court. He also spoke about Carlos Alcaraz being one of the favorites to win the French Open.

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The tournament has just begun, and nothing is certain. It remains to be seen how everything unfolds. There are a lot of great players in the tournament, and anyone can win. Still, the fans and even some pundits hope to see Djokovic face Carlos Alcaraz in the finals. This can surely be an epic clash, as they have only faced each other once, when Novak Djokovic was returning from an injury.

Also Read: Andy Murray HUMBLY accepts that his ultimate chance of having a deep run is at Wimbledon despite French Open looming around the corner

Reilly Opelka calls Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player that has ever lived

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Credits: Inside sports)

Reilly Opelka says he is highly impressed by Novak Djokovic’s perseverance. Reilly Opelka expressed that according to him Novak Djokovic is,” the undisputed greatest tennis player that has ever lived”. Reilly Opelka praised Djokovic for taking a stand and always sticking to it.

He has applied those concepts that he has in life like him having the courage to just take a stand, not play both sides of the coin like how his peers do and just face things head on is the reason why he is the undisputed greatest tennis player that has ever lived.”, said Reilly Opelka.

Djokovic used to be unfairly criticized by the media during his early days of challenging Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The media portrayed him as the villain, but Djokovic continued to play his game and eventually won people’s hearts. Djokovic’s achievements in tennis are astonishing, and it is safe to say that he is truly one of the greatest ever to play the game, as he still stands at World No. 1 even at 35.

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