Novak Djokovic to strike early US Open rankings blow on Carlos Alcaraz – but Spaniard could claim big prize
Tennis fans around the world may be hoping for a Novak Djokovic showdown with Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final, but one big debate will be over if that clash becomes a reality.
The battle for the world No 1 ranking has been raging all year between Djokovic and Alcaraz, with the Spaniard heading into the final Grand Slam of 2023 at the top of the ATP list.
Yet it seems inevitable that he will be dethroned by his great rival, with Djokovic set to return to the top of the rankings if he wins his first-round match against Frenchman Alexandre Muller on Monday.
Djokovic missed the 2022 US Open as he was not allowed to enter America due to his decision not to take a Covid-19 vaccine,
With Alcaraz defending 2,000 ranking points from his win at the US Open last year and Djokovic defending no points, the Serbian has a pretty comfortable path back to the top of the ATP Rankings.
The race to the year-end world No 1 ranking is set to be more keenly contested between the duo, with Alcaraz defending just 360 points for the rest of the year after the US Open.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has 2,850 points to defend for the rest of this year after his wins in Tel Aviva, Astana and at the ATP Finals, while he also has 600 points to defend from his run to the final of the Paris Masters.
That would appear to hand Alcaraz an advantage in the end-of-season run-in, with good runs at the Shanghai and Paris Masters, as well as some wins at the ATP Final putting him in a position to clinch the year-end No 1 title for a second successive year.
Djokovic and Alcaraz may be at the opposite end of their careers but they have already built a rivalry which looks set to endure for as long as Djokovic, 36, continues to pick up a racket.
“He’s always pushing me to the limit,” said the Serbian. “I think I do to him pretty much the same thing. That’s why we produced a memorable final.
“It was one of the best, most exciting, and most difficult finals I was ever part of in best-of-three, no doubt, throughout my career.
“That’s why I fell on the ground after I won the match because it felt like winning a grand slam, to be honest. The amount of exchanges and rallies. It was physically so demanding and gruelling that I felt very exhausted for the next few days.
“Those are kind of the moments in matches that I still push myself on a daily basis, day in and day out, practice, sacrifice, commitment. At 36, I still have the drive.”
Meanwhile, tennis legend Billie Jean King has claimed Alcaraz has what it takes to become the greatest player of all-time, as she suggested the young Spaniard could overtake the achievements of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“Djokovic is probably going to end up as the greatest (of those three) as I think he is going to keep winning Grand Slams,” King told Sky Sports.
“Then you have Alcaraz, who I adore. I first saw him when he was 18 and I said, I will say now, he is going to be the greatest ever unless he gets hurt.
“He has brought the drop shot back and in the 1980s it used to drive me crazy that no one would use the drop shot. Bring them in… they are on the baseline.”
READ MORE: Billie Jean King makes Carlos Alcaraz claim that will annoy Novak Djokovic fans
