ATP Finals 2023 Groups are CONFIRMED!! ⭐️ GREEN GROUP Novak Djokovic Jannik Sinner Stefanos Tsitsipas Holger Rune RED GROUP Carlos Alcaraz Daniil Medvedev Andrey Rublev Alexander Zverev #ATPFinals
"Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are better than everybody", says Roger Federer's ex-coach ahead of 2023 ATP Finals
ATPFriday, 10 November 2023 at 17:00
Roger Federer's ex-coach Paul Annacone has lauded the quality of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic ahead of the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, saying they are "a little bit better" than their opponents.
The rivalry between Alcaraz and Djokovic has already gone down in the tennis history books, with the duo having endured some epic battles against each other this season prior to qualifying for the ATP Finals. Most notably, the Spaniard defeated the Serbian player in a five-set thriller in the final of Wimbledon, denying Djokovic an eighth title which would have seen him equal Federer's record at the grasscourt major.
However, the 36-year-old got his revenge in the final of the Cincinnati Masters a month later, where he defeated Alcaraz in three hours and 49 minutes, making it the longest best-of-three final in ATP Tour history (since 1990).
Annacone addresses Djokovic always being on Alcaraz's mind
Now, the pair have both qualified for the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where fans will be hoping for another awe-inspiring clash. Ahead of the tournament, Annacone, who has worked with tennis legends such as Federer and Pete Sampras in the past, gave his thoughts on Alcaraz and Djokovic's tennis quality.
"I think [Carlos] Alcaraz and Novak [Djokovic] are a little bit better than everybody, and then I would probably give [Daniil] Medvedev the next tip of the cap. And then from four to kind of 12, I think you can make an argument that there is a lot of interchangeable parts and you could probably go to 15 as well. So, if I'm one of those guys between three or four and 15, I am thinking, 'There's a great opportunity for me out there' I think as a fan it's exciting, I love watching it," he said.
The 60-year-old also shared his thoughts on Alcaraz's focus on Djokovic, who had previously said that the World No. 1 was always on his mind: "I think [about Djokovic] almost in every practice, I am not going to lie. I train with a goal. I go to the tournaments with a goal," the young tennis star said.
"The Alcaraz quote I wanted to get back to. 'I'm thinking about Djokovic like he's on my mind.' Sure, he's going to be focused on him... I think Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferro do such a good job at looking at the macro, that they're going to focus on the big picture.
"And they know that that journey is going to have Novak in front of them for the time being. Yeah, the age gap is a big point in this. As he continues to play, and even already when you watch his schedule, you see his ability to look at the big picture. So sure, it gives him a target to emulate and to look at," Annacone continued.
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