"Play a bit like John McEnroe" - Henri Leconte offers advice for Novak Djokovic against Carlos Alcaraz
Ahead of the 2023 French Open semifinals, Novak Djokovic has received advice from former World No. 5 Henri Leconte, who believes he knows what needs to happen for the Serb to go through to the final.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are set to face each other in the first men's singles semifinal of the 2023 French Open on Friday, June 9.
Leconte, a former runner-up in Paris in 1988, believes Djokovic cannot afford to let Alcaraz dictate the match on his terms.
"If you let him play a little bit more you will be in a very bad situation because he's hitting the ball so hard," Leconte said of Alcaraz in an interview with Roland Garros.
"It's complicated because he has everything. He serves well, and returns well. The only thing maybe is he's staying very far back. You have to mix most of the time," the Frenchman added.
Leconte believes that Djokovic has to copy the legendary John McEnroe in order to disrupt Alcaraz's rhythm and give him a hard time.
"Try to kick serve and try to play a little bit like John McEnroe was doing - long shots, short ones – that would be maybe more difficult for him. The problem is he has to let you play. If he's on, it's complicated," Leconte explained.
Michael Chang: Novak Djokovic has to play offensive tennis against Carlos Alcaraz
The legendary Michael Chang also previewed the blockbuster semifinal at the 2023 French Open between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, scheduled on Friday, June 9.
Chang, who won Roland Garros at 17 years of age in 1989, recognized the pressure that both of the players are currently feeling.
The American believes that Alcaraz will try to dictate the tempo from way behind the baseline.
"If you play against guys that play very well and are aggressive from the back, if you don't mix it up, it's very easy for them to get in a rhythm and if they're in a rhythm it's tough to get them out of it," Chang said of the matchup.
If the Serb wants to win, Chang analyzes, he has to dictate the tempo and play highly offensive tennis.
"I think Novak is going to have to play offensive tennis. He's going to have to take some balls early, take some chances and he's going to have to do it consistently," Chang said.
"I don't think he's going to want to be out there playing 10 feet back, tracking balls down side to side with a guy who's younger, who's incredibly fit, incredibly hungry to win Roland Garros," he added.