Carlos Alcaraz on Novak Djokovic's Australian Open return: I want to see Novak play in every tournament
Carlos Alcaraz said that having players like Novak Djokovic compete in every tournament was good for tennis and its fans.
The Serb will compete in the 2023 Australian Open after missing out on the tournament this year due to his stance on COVID-19 vaccination.
Speaking at a press conference during the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Carlos Alcaraz said that he wanted to see Novak Djokovic compete in every tournament and was lucky to have him on tour.
"Tennis is better having the best players in the world, and for the fans as well it's good to see a tournament with the best players. Talking for me, I want to see Novak play in every tournament. I always said that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best player in the world. I'm a lucky guy to have Djokovic on the tour," the Spaniard said.
Alcaraz missed out on the ATP Finals due to an abdominal injury he sustained during the Paris Masters. The World No. 1 said that he felt good, almost 100 percent. He claimed that he would try to finish 2023 the same way he did in 2022.
"I feel good finally. I had a month to recover well and right now I feel almost 100 percent. I have been training normally this past week and I'm feeling great. Of course having a target on my back from everyone is going to be a little bit different for me this year and I have to be prepared for that. I'm going to try to finish 2023 at the same position as right now. It's going to be a long year but of course I'm going to enjoy," Alcaraz said.
Carlos Alcaraz @MubadalaWTC today:
"I want to see Novak play in every tournament. I always said that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best player in the world. I’m a lucky guy to have Djokovic on the tour." https://t.co/OsPPUQCwMl
Novak Djokovic will compete at the World Tennis League in Dubai
Novak Djokovic will compete at the World Tennis League in Dubai which starts on Monday. The exhibition tournament will see a number of big names compete, including Alexander Zverev, Iga Swiatek, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Dominic Thiem.
The Serb is a part of the Falcons alongside Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov. The team's first match is against the Hawks, with the Serb facing Zverev while Sabalenka will face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The World No. 5's next match is against the Eagles' Nick Kyrgios in a rematch of the Wimbledon final. His final fixture is against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who he beat in the Italian Open earlier this year.