"Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz are better than everybody" - Roger Federer's ex-coach Paul Annacone
Roger Federer's former coach, Paul Annacone, recently opined that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are better than the rest of the players competing on the tour.
The reigning US Open champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed at the 2023 ATP Finals, set to be played from November 12-19. He has won three Major titles this season and also triumphed at the Masters tournaments in Cincinnati and Paris.
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is the second seed at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Spaniard clinched his second Grand Slam title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and also won the Indian Wells Masters and the Madrid Masters.
Paul Annacone recently appeared on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, where he shed light on his assessment of the top-ranked players in the world. He maintained that Djokovic and Alcaraz are clear of the rest, with only Daniil Medvedev close to the top two.
"I actually look at it a little differently, I look at it as a premier two. I think [Carlos] Alcaraz and Novak [Djokovic] are a little bit better than everybody, and then I would probably give [Daniil] Medvedev the next tip of the cap," Federer's former coach said.
Elaborating further, the 60-year-old said that the competition in the ATP rankings, excluding the top two, is 'exciting' for fans.
"And then from four to kind of 12, I think you can make an argument that there is a lot of interchangeable parts and you could probably go to 15 as well. So, if I'm one of those guys between three or four and 15, I am thinking, 'There's a great opportunity for me out there'. I think as a fan it's exciting, I love watching it," Annacone said.
"I still want to win more" - Novak Djokovic ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin
Novak Djokovic was last seen in action at the 2023 Paris Masters, where he clinched the title after beating former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the final.
In a recent press conference, the World No. 1 reflected on his win at the Paris Masters. After winning a record-extending 40th Masters 1000 title, he emphasized his desire to keep competing at the highest level.
"It's great, but it's already behind me. I'm of course very proud of the achievement but I'm already turning the next page. This is, fortunately, or unfortunately, the way it works for me, and the way I think is the correct, so to say, mentality moving forward. Because while I'm still active, I still want to win more and I still want to play at the highest level," the 36-year-old said.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion fondly reflected on his triumph at last year's ATP Finals in Turin. Djokovic also hopes to extend his unbeaten streak since his loss against Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller at the Wimbledon final.
"I had the perfect score in Torino last year, five out of five matches. I like playing there. I think I connect well with the Italian crowd. I'm going there with good feelings, with a lot of confidence. I haven't lost a match since the Wimbledon final, so I'm really excited to hopefully finish off the season on a high," the Serb said.