In the lead-up to the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz expressed his desire to face Novak Djokovic in the final and come out victorious, stating that he is motivated by the prospect of challenging the Serbian player who has a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 Melbourne Park finals. The 20-year-old Spaniard is eager to clinch his first Australian Open title by defeating Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena.
Alcaraz told reporters, “It’s an extra motivation for me. I’m an ambitious guy. I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what is my level.”
He expressed confidence in his abilities and the appeal of testing himself against Djokovic, especially in a tournament where the latter has been almost unbeatable. Alcaraz hopes to reach the final and compete against Djokovic, considering the Serbian player’s impressive stats as an added motivation.
If Djokovic and Alcaraz maintain their positions as the first and second seed, they would face off in the final on January 28, barring any eliminations in earlier rounds.
Although this potential final is enticing for tennis fans, it would require Alcaraz to significantly improve his performance, given that he has not progressed beyond the third round in his previous two appearances at the Australian Open.
Alcaraz was absent from last year’s tournament due to a hamstring injury, during which Djokovic claimed his 10th title and regained the number one ranking from the Spanish player.
Notably, Alcaraz made the trip to Australia without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and opted out of participating in any warm-up events, stating, “I think I’m a guy who doesn’t need so much competition before a big tournament.”
Alcaraz exuded confidence during his press conference as he discussed the emergence of a “new generation” in tennis, including himself along with Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner. He emphasized his unique standing as the only one among the trio to have won a Grand Slam, with his triumph at the 2022 U.S. Open and victory over Djokovic at last year’s Wimbledon final.
While recognizing that there is room for improvement, Alcaraz expressed optimism about the upcoming season, stating, “On the court, off the court. I think everybody can be better. Everybody can improve their things.”
He acknowledged his imperfections and the need to enhance his performance both on and off the court, but remained positive about the possibilities that the new season holds, saying, “I think this year, it’s going to be a good one.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
