ATP Finals 2023: 'I'm dreaming about winning this tournament' - Carlos Alcaraz looks ahead to Djokovic semi-final

Updated 17/11/2023 at 18:43 GMT

Carlos Alcaraz has reveaed that he is "dreaming of winning" the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals after his 6-4 6-4 win saw him set up an appetising semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic, the world no. 1, who Alcaraz hailed as "the best player in the world". Alcaraz topped the red group in Turin, while Djokovic scraped through in second in the green group after Jannik Sinner beat Holger Rune.

'Why not?' - Alcaraz 'dreaming' of beating Djokovic and winning ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz has revealed that he is "dreaming about winning" the ATP Finals after the world no. 2 beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-4 in his final round robin match, setting up a mouth-watering encounter with Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

The victory ensured that the Spaniard topped the red group, while Medvedev also progressed to the last four of the tournament, with Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev eliminated.

Djokovic, who suffered a shock defeat to Jannik Sinner on Wednesday, was helped into the semi-finals by his Italian conqueror, who beat a determined Holger Rune in three sets in the last green group game, after the world no. 1 had beaten Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 4-6 6-1 earlier in the day.

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Sinner, who won the green group, is the only player at the Finals to remain unbeaten in Turin, after Alcaraz fell to Zverev 6-7 6-3 6-4 in his debut match.

Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, said after his win over Medvedev: "It's just two matches, but at the same time, it's too far away. I have Novak in the semi-final, and then if I win that match, I will have a really tough final.

"I'm dreaming about winning this tournament. Why not? But I have to play my best in the semi-final tie first. I'm going to face one of the best players in history, and I'm going to face the best player in the world right now. So I will have to put in my best game if I want to beat him.

'He is unbelievable' - Alcaraz 'excited' to play Djokovic

"I'm probably stronger mentally right now [than I was] compared to Paris, dealing with the pressure or dealing with tough, tough moments.I didn't deal with the pressure [then, and I] learned about that situation.

"Then came Wimbledon and Cincinnati, where it was a really, really good match. I think facing someone like Novak, you have to just stay strong mentally and deal with the pressure that he puts on you with every ball and every point. And I think I learned a lot about that. I think I'm ready to face it tomorrow.

"I feel that I'm playing at the same level that I've been playing [during] the first part of the year. I spoke with Juan Carlos after the first match, about giving everything that I have in this tournament. It's the last tournament of the year. It’s time to give 100%, my everything, in these matches."

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Alcaraz hailed Djokovic "the best player in the world", paying tribute to the world no. 1, who Alcaraz beat in the Wimbledon final.

The Spaniard said: "It's one of the most difficult challenges that I'm going to face, facing Novak in the ATP Finals, a tournament that he has won six times.

Alcaraz sets up Djokovic semi-final with win over already qualified Medvedev

"Obviously, Novak is Novak. He is the best player in the world right now. He just lost six matches this year. So that means that he is unbelievable.

"I'm going to put [play] my best tennis and I'm going to enjoy [it] in the same way that I'm doing these past few matches. So I'm excited to face Novak."

On his performance against Medvedev, where he exacted his revenge on the Russian, who beat him in the semi-finals of the US Open, Alcaraz said: "I think the most important thing that I did today is to stay strong mentally.

"There were a few games with my serve that I was struggling [with] a little bit.

"His return game, it's amazing. He puts so much pressure on you, on your serve. So I think to stay calm, stay strong mentally in those moments, it was the key to give myself a chance to win this match.

"I think that was the key in this match."

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