Novak Djokovic 'cannot call' Carlos Alcaraz biggest rival ahead of French Open as it 'is still Rafael Nadal'
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Updated 23/02/2023 at 10:17 GMT
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has insisted that "Nadal has been the biggest rival, and he probably will remain the biggest rival I ever had in my career" amid all the talk of the world No. 1 and Carlos Alcaraz battling it out for the top spot in the ATP rankings. Djokovic was speaking to the media in Belgrade as he is poised to break a legendary record held by Steffi Graf.
'Nadal will always be my biggest rival, not Alcaraz' - Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has addressed the current rivalry that is being hyped up between him and Carlos Alcaraz and insisted that he still considers Rafael Nadal to be his "biggest rival" on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic has already broken Roger Federer’s record of 310 weeks as men’s world No. 1 and is set to surpass WTA Tour legend Steffi Graf's remarkable tally when he moves to 378 weeks at the top on Monday.
The 35-year-old is currently tied with Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slam singles titles and is constantly being compared to Alcaraz with the pair locked in a head-to-head battle at the top of the ATP rankings as the clay-court season gets into full flow ahead of Roland-Garros.
But looking ahead to the second Grand Slam of the season in Paris and beyond, Djokovic has reiterated something he has said many times before, that Nadal is the player he considers to be his greatest rival in the sport.
"Alcaraz is playing at a great level," Djokovic told members of the media in Belgrade. I mean, especially after several months of absence from the tour with injuries that he was struggling with.
"It's amazing that he is able to find the top level right away. That is actually a characteristic of a mature player. He doesn't have so much experience, but he is showing maturity very early on, and with the way he handles himself on and off the court.
"He is a great guy and has a very good team of people around him. He deserves all his success and he is, I think, bringing some new, fresh energy into tennis, you know. He is a very dynamic player and personality and is very liked all around the world. So he deserves everything.
"I cannot call him my main rival. My main rival is still Nadal, you know, even though Alcaraz is obviously No. 2 [in the world rankings]. He was No. 1, he has won a Slam.
"He is arguably the next biggest thing in our sport or he is already there. I just feel the rivalry with Nadal is something that is difficult to eliminate just because someone is doing great things in the last year and a half, you know.
"Nadal has been the biggest rival, and he probably will remain the biggest rival I ever had in my career."
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Watch as Alcaraz lifts trophy after beating Norrie in ATP Buenos Aires final
For Alcaraz, the apparent pressure that is on his shoulders is not something that he is feeling, and he is simply trying to just enjoy having a "beautiful year with beautiful tournaments" ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season in Paris.
"I am not a kid or a player who is happy with little things," Alcaraz said in a press conference at the Rio Open.
"I always want more, and we will look for it this week. The truth is that I don't feel any pressure to fight with [Novak] Djokovic to be the No. 1.
"The truth is that I hope to have a beautiful year with beautiful tournaments, to be honest. I'll have a little pressure because I'll defend some important titles and play at a great level.
"But as I have said before, I'll have to play match by match, enjoying it, more than having results. That is what I hope."
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Highlights: Alcaraz beats Norrie in straight sets to claim ATP Buenos Aires title
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