Carlos Alcaraz makes ‘star’ admission in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer comparison
Carlos Alcaraz has revealed he does not consider himself to be a “star” as he named tennis legends Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as players who deserve this description.
The two-time Grand Slam champion declared that he sees himself as “a very good player” who has “achieved great things”, but feels he still has “a lot to do.”
Alcaraz became the youngest player to ever be ranked world No 1 in the ATP Rankings after winning the 2022 US Open, where he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.
The 20-year-old overcame Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon in July last year to win his most recent title at any level. The Spaniard reached his only final since his All England Club triumph at the Cincinnati Masters in August.
The world No 2 fell to Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires last week, having won the clay-court tournament in 2023. Alcaraz is in action at the ATP 500 event in Rio this week.
READ MORE: What Carlos Alcaraz’s latest shock defeat means for his battle with Novak Djokovic in ATP Rankings
During his run in Buenos Aires, Alcaraz was asked about being considered a star by his rivals and explained that he does not see perceive himself this way.
“I don’t consider myself a star, I consider myself a very good player. For me, the stars are Djokovic, Rafa and Federer, and some others out there. I have achieved great things, but I still have a lot to do,” the Spaniard told Marca.
The Spaniard also spoke about the achievement of winning his 160th match on the ATP Tour, a milestone he reached by winning his opening match in Argentina.
“Accumulating victories is always good. The first was at the beginning of 2020, four years have passed. I have achieved many victories and we are going to continue. I am already thinking about number 200,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz recently admitted Djokovic’s remarkable Grand Slam title record is something that occupies his mind, while also naming both the great Serbian and Jannik Sinner as his two main rivals.
“Obviously, I keep thinking about Nole’s 24 Grand Slams, that’s clear, but right now Djokovic and [Jannik] Sinner I think are the players to beat: they are at a very high level that few people can beat them,” he said in an interview with Ole.
“But since I’m a very ambitious guy and I always want to think big, and I dream big, obviously Djokovic’s 24 is a goal at the end of my career. Now let’s wait to see where I get to, because maybe I get to five, maybe I stay at two.
“However, it is something that is inevitable to think about. I am very competitive and that is also what drives me to the highest level to try to be at the same level as the Big Three. The truth is that I dream big.”
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