On Monday, Novak Djokovic praised Carlos Alcaraz as the “best player” of the season so far, calling him one of the “main favourites” for Roland Garros.
Djokovic, who will face Russia’s Aslan Karatsev in the first round of the Rome tournament, lost to Alcaraz in the semifinals in Madrid last weekend and paid tribute to him at a press conference.
REMEMBER THIS MOMENT 🙌
Match point as @alcarazcarlos03 defeats Novak Djokovic to become the youngest finalist in #MMOPEN history. pic.twitter.com/5XhUInYuzu
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 7, 2022
Alcaraz won his fourth title of the year on Sunday, defeating world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the final, after defeating Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He became the youngest player to beat three top-five players in the same tournament since the ATP Tour began in 1990.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
“With the results that he’s had so far this year, he’s the top player in the world, no question,” Djokovic said at the Italian Open.
“How he handled the pressure in our encounter a few days ago, and how cool he remained to the end, was impressive.” He was deserving of the award.”
Carlos Alcaraz Is Now The World’s Number Six
On Monday, Alcaraz set a career-high rating of six and leads the tour with 28 victories to three losses in 2022.
This season, the 19-year-old has seven top-10 triumphs, more than any other competitor. He’ll forego the Rome encounter in order to be at his best for the French Open later this month.
“Every aspect of his recreation is, without a doubt, magnificent. He’s a versatile player who can contribute offensively and defensively. “He’s the talk of the town,” Djokovic said.
“Without a doubt, Roland Garros is one of the many key favorites.”
Djokovic has missed a number of events this year due to his refusal to be vaccinated, and he arrives in Rome having only played 11 matches (seven wins and 4 losses).
While Djokovic is still searching for his peak form, he believes his own “level of tennis is really high currently.”
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