"You have to give it to Carlos Alcaraz" - Mats Wilander picks the teenager over Novak Djokovic as the best player right now
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are at the heart of the biggest debate going around in men's tennis: who is the best player in the world on current form? Alcaraz has had a breakthrough year with the most titles this season (four), but Djokovic has found his groove by winning the Rome Masters title last week.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander has had his say on the topic. Speaking during a recent discussion on Eurosport, Wilander just about gave Alcaraz the edge over the World No. 1.
Wilander feels it is always difficult to pinpoint who is the best player at a given point as that is something that keeps changing. However, he believes the Spaniard is at the top right now, alongside Djokovic and even Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"I think you have to give it to Alcaraz though," Wilander said. "For a few weeks, maybe Stefanos Tsitsipas is not so far away either with the year that he has had. It changes every week."
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As per Wilander, the fact that the 19-year-old from Spain has won tournaments on two different surfaces in a short time holds him in good stead going forward. The three-time French Open singles champion opined that tasting success on different surfaces is always a good way to build confidence.
"I always feel that it's really important to have good periods on tour, especially when you do what Alcaraz has done, which is to win on hard courts, and then you go and you win on clay," the Swede said. "That is a confidence boost for the player. It (earns) respect from the locker room."
Alcaraz jumped to sixth in the world rankings in no time after starting the year outside the top 30. No other player on the men's side has as many titles as the 19-year-old this season. What bodes well for the Spaniard, especially ahead of the French Open, is the fact that three of those four titles have come on clay.
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Djokovic, on the other hand, had hardly played any events before the start of the claycourt season. He has picked up the pace gradually and seems to have hit top form right before Roland Garros.
Would much rather have Novak Djokovic's preparation for the French Open than Carlos Alcaraz's: Mats Wilander
While Wilander has given Alcaraz the edge as the best male player on tour right now, he believes that Djokovic is better prepared for a long run at the French Open. Djokovic's win at the Italian Open, which Alcaraz opted out of, puts the Serb in a better spot, as per Wilander.
"I would always think though that Novak's preparation for the French Open is perfect, I would much rather have Novak's preparation than Carlos Alcaraz's preparation going into the French Open," he expressed. "Winning Rome, take a week off, and then come to Paris."
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He feels that despite winning titles in consecutive weeks in Barcelona and Madrid, Alcaraz will have to start all over again to build momentum.
"What Alcaraz has done, that confidence is not really going to carry him through the French Open," the former World No. 1 explained. "He's going to have to start up again, start playing well again, start playing well in practice, and then hope that he has good matches in the first few rounds in Paris."
Also Check Out: Novak Djokovic French Open Titles