Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged that Novak Djokovic is superior to him and doesn’t think he can compete with the Serbian on indoor courts. After being defeated by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July, Djokovic sought redemption by defeating the Spaniard in the Nitto ATP Finals semifinal.
The Serbian defeated his opponent 6-3, 6-2, and secured his spot in Sunday’s championship match, where he will take on the hometown favorite Jannik Sinner.
After the match against Djokovic, Alcaraz offered an honest review of his performance, admitting that he is not at his best when competing indoors.
Alcaraz expressed his remarks after the match and said: “He plays at the same level during the whole match. The shot quality he has is unbelievable. He plays really, really deep. It’s really difficult to take advantage of that. Once again, he has shown why he’s the best player in the world.”
He further added: “I feel like I am not at his level in indoor court, obviously. I’ve played great matches at Wimbledon, in Cincinnati, and at Roland Garros. I felt in that match that I was at the right level. Obviously, he has more experience than me playing in these tournaments on these courts.”
After the match, Djokovic claimed that his victory over Alcaraz was among his best of the year and that the 20-year-old was unable to handle the pressure.
When Alcaraz had two break points in the first game but was unable to convert, the world No. 1 showed his intentions right away and made two bold second serve plays to escape danger. Alcaraz was erratic with his serve, and Djokovic was excellent on the return.
Carlos Alcaraz says he has to improve a lot of things if he wants to be at Novak Djokovic’s level:
This match will help me a lot coming into the pre-season. Right now I know all the things I have to improve if I want to be there, if I want to beat the best player in the world.… pic.twitter.com/IzhbpxZK0S
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 18, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
LWWLLLWWLW Ranked world no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 18th of November when he was overcome by world no.1 Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-2 in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
Currently, during this season Carlos has managed to achieve an overall 65-12 record. Carlos clinched 6 titles in 2023 in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid, London and Wimbledon. Alcaraz reached the final in Rio de Janeiro and Cincinnati.
Djokovic in the Nitto ATP Finals, ranking, and results in 2023
LWWWWLWWWW Currently the world no.1, Novak achieved a 54-6 match record in 2023. Novak ended his run in the round-robin after defeating Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 6-2.
Novak Djokovic will come up against the world no.4 Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday at 7:00 pm on Centre Court. Their current head to head is 3-1 for Djokovic.
Novak conquered 6 titles in 2023 in Adelaide, Australian Open, French Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open and Paris. The Serbian was the finalist in Wimbledon.
Novak won 97 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 19 on clay courts, 18 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic played each other 5 times. Their head to head is 3-2 for Djokovic. The last time they competed against each other, Novak Djokovic won 6-3 6-2 in the semifinal in Turin (Nitto ATP Finals) on the 18th of November 2023.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic |
| Embed from Getty Images |
