"Love the fact that Carlos Alcaraz just says out front, 'I think about Novak Djokovic every day'" - Pam Shriver
Pam Shriver recently shared that she admires Carlos Alcaraz for being so forward about World No. 1 Novak Djokovic being on his mind every day.
After winning his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, Novak Djokovic displaced Carlos Alcaraz from the top of the world rankings.
The Spaniard has since spoken several times about being solely focused on displacing the Serb and reclaiming the World No. 1 spot.
Former World No. 1 Pam Shriver recently appeared on the Inside-In Podcast, where she spoke in awe of the Alcaraz-Djokovic rivalry, remarking their matches as 'mind-blowingly great'.
"Well, I think that's part of building a rivalry, right? I mean it's really been special what has happened since Roland Garros because that was the semifinal that everybody wanted," Shriver said.
"I guess they played in Madrid the year before, but they hadn't played in a Major. And then even though it did not end up great because of the loss of condition by Alcaraz, the first two sets were just mind-blowingly great. And then in the Wimbledon final, the same," she added.
Elaborating further, the 61-year-old opined that the rivalry between the top two in the world was born while competing in the Majors.
Shriver also admired the reigning Wimbledon champion's outspoken nature in addressing the rivalry for the top spot in the ATP rankings.
"So whenever you can get two great matchups late in a Major that are that memorable, a rivalry is born. And I love the fact that Alcaraz just says out front, 'I think about him [Novak Djokovic] every day. I don't know if he thinks of the number 23, because that would be a little intimidating," Shriver said.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's dominance in 2023 'not a surprise,' says Pablo Carreno Busta
Over the course of the season, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have stayed ahead of the rest as their dominance over the World No. 1 spot continues.
The Serbian has secured an impressive five titles this year, with notable victories at three Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open.
Meanwhile, World No. 2 Alcaraz has been building his collection with six titles, including a prestigious win at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and two Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Madrid.
Pablo Carreno Busta, a former World No. 10, has had the unique opportunity to witness the remarkable progress of his fellow Spaniard. This growth is largely attributed to their shared training at the academy of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
According to Busta, Alcaraz's exceptional performance alongside the 36-year-old is entirely expected.
“I couldn't tell you, honestly. Djokovic has continued as he was, Carlos has maintained the level that he had been having last year. Maybe that might surprise someone, but not me,” Pablo Carreno Busta said in conversation with Punto de Break when asked about the current state of the tour.
As it stands, the 24-time Grand Slam champion currently has 11045 points to his name, while Alcaraz has accumulated a total of 8805 points after his Shanghai Masters campaign. The Serb thus enjoys a comfortable lead of 2240 points over the Spaniard in the live rankings.