"Only person he couldn't handle was Novak": Carlos Alcaraz dealt with first time World Number One pressure well says Martina Navratilova

Carlos Alcaraz found his way through his latest test at the 2024 Australian Open seeing off Lorenzo Sonego as he aims to battle Novak Djokovic for the title in Melbourne with Martina Navratilova speaking to Tennis Channel summing up his 2023 reign as World Number One as he aims to resume his dominance atop the sport.

Navratilova says that he handled it well after reaching the summit for the first time and that perhaps it is skewed by the fact that he couldn't handle the 24-time Grand Slam champion in Novak Djokovic by the end of it.

"I think he handled it [people gunning for him] pretty well last year, because he was number one the year before and then he ended up having a great year this last year, where everybody knows how to play him. Now that was the sophomore year, so he ended it beautifully. The only person he couldn't handle was Novak," she said to Tennis Channel.

She also gave the advice that he needs to stop searching for encouragement and that he is a box office attraction in his own right so gets fans support anyway instead of trying to get it from his box albeit with Juan Carlos Ferrero currently not in Melbourne.

"I would like to see him, especially now that Juan Carlos is not there, to see him just stay on the court a little more and don't look at the box after every single point trying to get advice or encouragement. I mean the fans are on his side. It's not like he's not the favorite and everybody's rooting against him."