Novak Djokovic reveals wish for his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic has declared that he hopes he plays Carlos Alcaraz as many times as he faced his other great rivals – Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
The 24-time major champion also believes the “tennis future is looking good” with the 20-year-old Spaniard leading a group of “some great young players coming up.”
Djokovic and Alcaraz are the No 1 and 2 players in world respectively and have shared the last six Grand Slam events between them – with the Serbian winning four and Alcaraz claiming two.
The 36-year-old has secured three of the four majors this season , while he was beaten in five sets by Alcaraz in a pulsating Wimbledon final in July. He reclaimed top spot in the ATP Rankings from Alcaraz following his victory at the US Open earlier this month.
The head-to-head between the duo is split at 2-2 – with all four encounters enthralling and featuring high-level tennis. Djokovic edged the pair’s most recent clash – an epic and gruelling three-set battle in the final of the Cincinnati Masters last month.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the Ryder Cup all-star match, Djokovic discussed his developing competition with Alcaraz and his stellar season at the four majors.
“He’s not the only one, obviously there are some great young players coming up. I think tennis, definitely tennis future is looking good with Carlos leading that field,” said the Serbian.
“We’ve had some thrilling encounters. Last year, this year particularly – finals at Wimbledon, and also Roland Garros, and Cincinnati – that was one of the best three-set matches I’ve ever played.
“So, I really think it’s great for our sport there are more rivalries happening. But obviously, you know, rivalries with Federer and Nadal particularly and also with Andy [Murray] are right up there for me.
“Carlos, I just played him three, four times. Hopefully I’ll play him as many times as I played the other guys. That means that I’ll be playing for years to come, but you know, I doubt that. Let’s see, let’s see how it goes.
“I’ve had a fantastic year. Grand Slams are the ones that count the most for me at this point of my career, they’re the ones where I want to play my best tennis. This year, [winning] three out of four Slams and another final, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Djokovic has decided to skip the Asian hard-court swing, while Alcaraz is in action at the China Open in Beijing, where play in the main draw started today. The Spaniard will face qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the opening round of the ATP 500 tournament.
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