Scenarios for World No. 1 after Carlos Alcaraz's Australian Open 2023 withdrawal ft. Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas
Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas all have a chance of finishing at the ATP World No. 1 spot after the 2023 Australian Open and their chances have been boosted further with current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz announcing his withdrawal from the Major Down Under.
Alcaraz revealed on his social media that he will not be part of the Australian Open this time around as he picked up an injury to his right leg during pre-season training. The announcement has pushed the door wide open for several players to aim for the No. 1 spot.
Novak Djokovic currently sits four spots behind the No. 1. However, the Serb could take a big leap on the leaderboard if he wins the title at Melbourne Park. He can attain 2000 points as a result, which would see him propel to the top spot, beating the Spaniard.
The scenario remains the same for World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas as he has to win the Major tournament in Australia to have any chance of making it to the No. 1 spot. If he pulls off the feat, it will be the first time in his career that the Greek player will reach the top. His career-high ranking as of now is No. 3.
World No. 3 Casper Ruud is just 1000 points shy of Alcaraz and that gap could close if the Norwegian makes it to the final of the Australian Open. Winning the championship will mean that Ruud will establish a healthy lead over the Spaniard in the rankings.
Novak Djokovic not to have any expectations for himself in the Australian Open 2023
Novak Djokovic has made it clear that he does not want to build any expectations beforehand for himself at the 2023 Australian Open and that the player just wants to focus on the here and now.
In a conversation with the press during the Adelaide International 1, the former World No. 1 conveyed that he is keen to focus on the positives ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year and does not want to hold a "grudge" for whatever happened in 2022.
"There is no reason to focus on -- what you focus on, you become. If I focus on the negatives, that's what I'll attract, so I don't want to do that. I don't hold a grudge. I am here to play tennis, to enjoy sports, and spread good energy," the nine-time Australian Open champion said.
The Serb asserted that he had no expectations in advance for the tournament in Melbourne and is instead focusing on the current tournament he is part of, which is the Adelaide International 1.
"I don't have any expectations. I just try to stay in the moment. Now my focus is on here, on Adelaide, try to do well in this tournament. Obviously Melbourne, Grand Slam, it's different," Djokovic expressed.