Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has been compared to 23-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic by Alexander Zverev, following his defeat to Alcaraz in the U.S. Open quarter-finals. Zverev was once considered the most likely player to break the dominance of the “Big Three” in men’s tennis, but he has yet to win a Grand Slam title. With Roger Federer retired and Rafa Nadal expected to retire after next season, Alcaraz has risen to the top of the men’s game alongside Djokovic. Zverev is well-positioned to provide insight on this power shift, having recently lost to both players.
Zverev, speaking to reporters after being outperformed by defending champion Alcaraz in a 6-3 6-2 6-4 defeat, said, “I played Novak in Cincinnati (last month), I played Carlos here. They’re very similar in terms of the level of their game. There are some things Novak does better; there are some things Carlos does better. I think they’re at a level of their own at the moment.”
Despite being 36 years old, Djokovic is currently playing some of his best tennis and is aiming for a 24th Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court’s record for the most singles titles in history. This season, Djokovic and Alcaraz have dominated the men’s tour, with Djokovic winning the Australian and French Opens, while Alcaraz won his second Grand Slam title by defeating Djokovic at Wimbledon.
Zverev stated, “The other guys have to catch up. It’s as simple as that.”
Zverev, who reached the semi-finals of the French Open this year, struggled with an ankle injury last season and cited a hamstring issue as the reason for his disappointing performance at the U.S. Open. He explained, “I couldn’t push off on my serve anymore. My serve speed was significantly lower compared to other days. Against him, I needed a good serving day, otherwise it would have been difficult. My biggest weapon was taken away after the first set. It’s difficult to even compete if you don’t have that.”
Shrivathsa Sridhar reporting in Bengaluru, with editing by Peter Rutherford.
Credit: The Star : Sport Feed
