Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for world No. 1 seems to be over. After the Spanish star lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the US Open, he dropped to second while Novak Djokovic took the lead with 500 points after winning his 24th Grand Slam.
Djokovic needed a long break, and Alcaraz had three tournaments to regain his place, but the youngster failed to get to the final of any. His worst performances came at the Shanghai Masters where he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 32 and in the opening rounds of the Paris Masters losing to qualifier Roman Safiullin.
Carlos Alcaraz on Novak Djokovic deserving the ATP Year-End No.1
Carlos Alcaraz has finally given up on his No.1 chase after Novak Djokovic cemented the top spot with a win against Holger Rune at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Spanish star also acknowledges that the Serbian deserves to finish the 2023 season as the Year-End No 1. Throughout the year, Alcaraz was at the top spot for 20 weeks, while Djokovic overtook him and has been 25 weeks at the World no.1.
“He deserves it, of course. He has won three of the four Grand Slams and has reached the final of the other. You have won two or three Masters 1000s. He deserves it,” Carlos Alcaraz said to Turin Press.
“He’s only lost five matches in the whole year, it’s amazing. And I heard that, despite everything, it was not his best year. Tremendous. I had my chances to be #1, but I couldn’t convert them. All I can say is that he deserves it & that I will fight him next year,” He added.
After Djokovic’s win in the first game of the group stage in Turin that sealed his record-extending eighth finish as the Year-End No 1, the 36-year-old admitted, “It means a lot. You could see there were a lot of emotions on the court. I could feel it. I was very eager to win tonight’s match, get that monkey off my back. I won Paris, which put me in a much better position rankings-wise, and I knew coming into Turin I only needed to win one match. A big goal is achieved, everything else now is a bonus.”
Carlos Alcaraz reunites with Novak Djokovic at practice in Turin
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have developed a habit of practicing against each more often. The duo first trained together at the Paris Masters winning the two set. This time around they trained at the Nitto ATP Finals court with intensity and Carlos Alcaraz fell to a 6-1 defeat at the hand of the Serbian. Alcaraz, who had defeated Djokovic once this season at Wimbledon, would relish having another battle with the tennis legend in Turin.
“I’m expecting the Carlos from early this year, despite the results I’ve had in recent tournaments,” declared Alcaraz, whose triumph at Wimbledon was the last of the six titles he has claimed in 2023. “The defeat in Paris, which was quite painful, made me realise that I have to work harder,” he said of the match he lost in the recent ATP Masters 1000 against Roman Safiullin.
“And that’s what I’ve done. You always have to look for the positive in things. I’ve had several days to train to come here in optimum form. I’ve worked hard, on both fitness and tennis. I feel really good.”
Carlos Alcaraz would be hoping to turn the tide around at the Nitto ATP Finals but that would come at a huge price and luck, as the youngster has been below his best since losing to Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati Open.
