“Rafael Nadal and myself will try to mess up their plans,” Novak Djokovic issues stern warning to upcoming generation ahead of 2023 Australian Open
Novak Djokovic is watching the rise of younger generation players. It is inevitable that they will dominate the sport some day. However, he also believes that He and Rafael Nadal can make it difficult for them this season.
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Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with Roger Federer, dominated male tennis for a long-time. But with the retirement of Swiss legend last September, and both the Serb and Spaniard in the twilight of their respective careers, the sport awaits the rise of new heroes and superstars. Glimpses of the future are showing up.
Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune arrived on the world stage and dethroned the old brass last season. Carlos Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open men’s singles title and other ATP tournaments. He soon became the youngest World No.1 in ATP history. Meanwhile, Holger Rune also shines at ATP tournaments and won his career’s first ATP 1000 tournament, i.e., the Paris Masters 2022. Both players are 19 years old.
Novak Djokovic acknowledged this fact that things are changing in male tennis. He thinks with the advent of both the 19-year-olds and Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime, the future of tennis looks brighter.
“Yeah, it seems like men’s tennis is in good hands for the future,” he said in an interview.
However, Novak Djokovic does not think that he and Rafael Nadal are just done yet. He would like to make winning the tournaments for the young guys a challenging reward.
“I feel like every generation has some great talents to offer. I’m sure that Nadal and myself will try to mess up their plans a little bit for I don’t know how long, but we’ll try,” he added further.
Related: Naomi Osaka’s uncertain playing status gives Australian Open officials a headache
Challenges before the young generation in 2023 season
Everybody expects that the younger generation will shine this season. Most of the young players have got a pedestal to launch their careers. Besides, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime too shined last season. He won 4 ATP tournaments in 2022 along with the Davis Cup 2022 final for his country.
The Canadian is currently ranked World No.6 and one of the strong contenders to win the Australian Open. Lorenzo Musetti showed considerable improvement last season. He was also instrumental in the Italian team’s campaign at Davis Cup 2022 in Malaga, Spain, and United Cup 2023 in Australia. However, it is not going to be easy for the new stars.
The two legends-Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with their tons of experience, have the ability to win important points in crucial situations in the match. These skills have helped them win so many Grand Slam titles over the years.
Besides them, Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Nick Kyrgios, and Taylor Fritz are also present on the ATP tour, which can make their journey difficult. Hence, these players will test the young lads will and temperament.
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Abhar Indorkar
(451 Articles Published)