Carlos Alcaraz 'a completely different player' to Rafael Nadal says Novak Djokovic after ATP Finals win
ATP
Novak Djokovic will play this Sunday his last final of the historic 2023 that the world No. 1 has completed. The Serb will face the local hope, Jannik Sinner, in the ATP Finals trophy match.
The Serb defeated Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday night in a duel in which Djokovic dominated the Spaniard from start to finish. Alcaraz himself said after the match that he is "far from Novak's level on indoor hard court". However, Djokovic himself praised the Spaniard for the great rivalry that the two have established this season.
It all came after Novak Djokovic was asked after the match if he saw similarities between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz after completing some rallies with the Murcian that reminded him of those he had at the time with the Spaniard. "They are different players. In terms of the big occasion and the sense of intensity on the court that he brings, yes, there is some similarity. But he's a completely different player to Rafa," said the world No. 1.
"Alcaraz is one of the most complete players I have faced in my career. For his age, it's impressive that he's been able to play so well for so many years, and he's the youngest world No. 1 we've ever had. A brilliant career already, and I think it's pretty obvious that he's going to have a brilliant career full of success in the years to come. He's still very, very young. But, yeah, it brings out the best in me."
"It makes me prepare for the match to the best of my ability. That's where I would probably compare it to the preparations I had in matches against Nadal or Federer, where I had to come out every time to the best of my abilities to be able to beat them," Novak Djokovic concluded.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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