"He deserves to be No.1, but I'm sure Nadal will try to dethrone him" - Djokovic on Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic won't finish as the year-end No. 1 this year but the Serbian thinks Alcaraz is worthy of that honour.

The Spaniard has had a mesmerizing season where he won two ATP 1000 events along with a couple of other titles including the US Open. The second ATP 1000 trophy he won came in Madrid where he beat Nadal and Djokovic in back-to-back matches before beating Alexander Zverev in the final.

All of that makes him very worthy to the number one spot according to Djokovic:

“Alcaraz is the world No 1, he is the best. Nothing more to add, the rankings show it. It is a fact that I played less, Wimbledon points did not count, maybe it would have been different in different circumstances, but that is a ‘what if'"

He added:

“It is what it is, he absolutely deserved to be where he is – I congratulate him for all the success he has had. I think it is great for tennis that such a young guy achieved so many historic results and milestones, because that attracts a lot of attention for our sport, so we all benefit.”

Asked about the rest of the season and Nadal's chance to overtake him, Djokovic believes taht Nadal will try:

“I am sure that Nadal will try to dethrone him until the end of the year, he has got a chance. And then we turn a new leaf next season, let’s see what happens.”