Novak Djokovic recently gave his opinion on Carlos Alcaraz’s attempt to become a great. The Serbian believes that while the young Spaniard has already shown plenty of promise at the age of 21, he may want to slow down before making high promises for himself.
Alcaraz enjoyed an outstanding season on the ATP Tour last year, winning four titles – two of which came at the French Open and Wimbledon. However, he fell two places from his world No. 1 to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, leading to concerns about his consistency.
It is said, Alcaraz he didn’t shy away from expressing his positive aspirations last year when he said he wanted to be “part of tennis history”. He also talked about the 24-time Major winner’s career accolades as a point of reference.
“I know it’s almost impossible to break Novak’s records, but I play tennis for myself, for joy and I want to do great things,” Carlos Alcaraz said last year (via BBC Sport). “I want to be a part of tennis history.”
Against this background, Novak Djokovic gave his opinion on the Spaniard’s ambitious attitude in an interview with GQ. The 37-year-old began by giving props to the world number three, predicting that he is likely to complete a career Grand Slam at some point in his career.
However, he admitted in the same breath that it might not be time for Alcaraz to think about his place in tennis history.
“Carlos has done something that no one in history has done at such a young age. So the odds are with him. He will complete his [career] Slam very quickly,” Novak Djokovic told GQ. “He even said he wanted to make history. He wants to be ‘the best in history’. I respect that ‘Hey, I think I got the goods’ kind of mentality. But maybe it’s a little early for him to think about history.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are predicted to meet in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Australian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are ready to renew their rivalry in 2025 Australian Open. The Spaniard and the Serb are in the same quarter, meaning only one will make it to the semi-finals in Melbourne.
Alcaraz will have to do his best to surpass the 24-time Major winner if they meet in the last eight. He trails Djokovic by a narrow margin of 3-4 in their head-to-head on the ATP Tour, giving the 37-year-old a significant chance of victory in their future matchup.
Edited by Prathik BR
