"To feel that I am the main opponent to Novak Djokovic is something crazy" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has opened up his rivalry with Novak Djokovic and the potential of him losing the World No. 1 title to the Serb at the 2023 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz and Djokovic, seeded No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, will go head-to-head for the World No. 1 ranking at Cincinnati. The Spaniard has a 600-point lead over the Serb as of now.
The former is defending 160 points at Cincinnati, while Djokovic will only gain points as he did not play in the tournament last year.
Carlos Alcaraz addressed his rivalry with Novak Djokovic in his pre-tournament press conference, saying he is enjoying the battle against "one of the legends of the sport." The 20-year-old is laser-focused on retaining the top spot in the men's ranking and recovering as fast as he can even if he loses it.
"Well, I like that battle. I like to know that I can lose and I can recover it at the same time. Of course, you have to enjoy it when the battle is against one of the legends of our sport, against Novak (Djokovic). To feel that I am the main, let's say, opponent for him is something crazy, and I'm trying to enjoy," Alcaraz said.
"You have to put goals to yourself during the season in every tournament, and for me right now, the main goal is to stay in the spot, and if I lose it, try to recover it as fast as I can. it's something that's helped me a lot to show my best in many tournaments," he continued.
Carlos Alcaraz took over the World No. 1 spot from Djokovic after beating him in the final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. Both men have traded the top spot throughout the year.
Carlos Alcaraz looks for his seventh title in 2023 at Cincinnati
The young Spaniard currently leads the ATP Tour in terms of the number of titles in 2023, with six under his belt. The 20-year-old won his first tournament of the year at the Argentina Open in February.
He then lifted trophies at the Indian Wells Open, the Barcelona Open, the Madrid Open, the Queen's Club Championships, and the Wimbledon Championships. The latter two were his first titles on the grass.
Now at the Western and Southern Open, Alcaraz will begin his campaign in the second round, after receiving a first-round bye, against John Isner or Jordan Thompson.
Per seedings, the Spaniard will face No. 14 seed Tommy Paul, who recently defeated him in the Canadian Open quarterfinal.
If he avenges his loss against Paul, Alcaraz potentially faces No. 5 seed Casper Rudd in the quarterfinal and No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinal.
A potential final matchup against No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic awaits Alcaraz if he can get past the challenging route.