"He will be one of the great leaders of this sport for the next 10-15 years": Novak Djokovic gives high praise to Carlos Alcaraz
ATP
Novak Djokovic will face off against Carlos Alcaraz this afternoon (Wednesday 27) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the bragging rights in the men's match of the Tennis Cup. Boxing Day saw Aryna Sabalenka topple Ons Jabeur.
But will it be another storied win for the Serbian kingpin or will the rising Spaniard add to his record, albeit unofficially. For both, it will be the last main singles action before the Australian Open, with Djokovic set to play United Cup. While Alcaraz won't play at all. The Serbian was full of praise though for his rival and said during pre-exhibition media that he would anchor the sport going forward.
He used the example of how Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are basically gone so the time is running out on those in his generation and that Alcaraz emerging is the best thing for the sport in order to keep the dominance alive.
At 4:45pm CET, the match will take place on December 27 exclusively on DAZN and Alcaraz who had a poor end to the season will look to start the new one brightly against Djokovic who on the other hand has only had minimal time off since the Davis Cup Finals.
“He will be one of the great leaders of this sport for the next 10-15 years and, definitely, we will continue to see many things from him (Alcaraz) in the biggest tournaments," he said to Eurosport.
"Nadal didn't play in 2023, Federer retired. Our generation is running out, but what emerges in Alcaraz is great”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
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.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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