Carlos Alcaraz Archives

‘He’s still a better player’ – Sinner cools talk of Alcaraz rivalry

September 28, 2023

Jannik Sinner says it is “tough to talk” about a rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, after admitting that the Spaniard is at present “still a better player”.

Sinner is in Beijing for this week’s China Open, where he will go in search of a third title of the calendar year.

To do that, he will potentially have to beat Alcaraz, with the pair carded to meet at the semi-final stage.

Should that play out, Sinner may be confident of success, given he is one of only a handful of players to defeat the two-time Grand Slam champion in 2023, landing a three-set victory en route to the Miami Open final earlier this year.

That means their head-to-head record is level at three wins apiece, but Sinner has confessed he feels he is still an inferior player to his Spanish counterpart.

“At the moment, it’s tough to talk about this rivalry, because he’s won so many things,” the Italian said in his pre-tournament press conference.

“I think, at the moment, he’s still a better player.

“He has shown this. He was No. 1 in the world already a couple of times.

“I think we both show the best out of ourselves.”

Highlights: Sinner shocks Alcaraz in Miami semis, ends Spaniard’s No. 1 reign

A stacked field will be on show in Beijing, where six of the game’s top seven ranked players are in action.

Sinner has a tough first-round match against Britain’s Dan Evans, before that potential last-four clash with Alcaraz.

“I would be happy to be the rival of Carlos, for sure,” Sinner continued. “I feel like I have the potential to do that.

“I have to improve physically because I feel like I have a lot of potential physically.

“That’s also the reason why I [have] played less tournaments this year than last year, because I have to prepare the body to win the big tournaments.

“It’s going to be a question that will be answered in the future. But, let’s see. It’s all about the future. We can’t say what’s happening.”

Britain’s Andy Murray is also in action in Beijing, facing Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the first round, while Cameron Norrie has been paired with fifth seed Andrey Rublev.

Alcaraz arrival means ‘future is looking good’ for tennis – Djokovic

September 28, 2023

Novak Djokovic believes the stunning arrival of Carlos Alcaraz onto the tennis scene in the last couple of years – and his burgeoning rivalry with the young Spaniard – means the future of the sport is in good hands.

It was Alcaraz’s second major following his US Open success in 2022, with the current world No. 2 widely backed for more success in the coming years.

Their showdown at SW19 was one of three enthralling meetings between the pair this year, with the Serbian winning their French Open semi-final clash a month earlier as well as their epic Cincinnati Masters final clash in August.

“I think tennis, definitely the future is looking good with Carlos leading that field,” Djokovic told Sky Sports, per Reuters, as the Serbian took part in a celebrity all-star golf match ahead of the Ryder Cup.

“We’ve had some thrilling encounters. This year with the final at Wimbledon and also Roland-Garros and Cincinnati – that was one of the best three-set matches I’ve ever played.”

Djokovic has played a major role in arguably the greatest era of men’s tennis, following long-standing battles with other members of the sport’s ‘Big Four’: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Following the retirement of Federer and fitness issues impacting Nadal and Murray, the 24-time Grand Slam winner has welcomed a new rivalry in the latter years of his own career.

“It’s great for our sport there are more rivalries happening but rivalries with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal particularly and also with Andy Murray are right up there for me,” the 36-year-old said.

“Hopefully I’ll play him [Alcaraz] as many times as I played the other guys and that will mean I’ll be playing for years to come.

“But I doubt that, let’s see how it goes.”

Despite his advancing years, Djokovic is showing little sign of slowing down after another sensational year.

After getting the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Australian Open, Djokovic overcame Casper Ruud in the Roland-Garros final.

Victory in New York saw him claim his 24th major singles title, equalling the record held by Margaret Court.

Alcaraz v Djokovic – French Open highlights

“I’ve had a fantastic year. Grand Slams are the ones that count the most for me at this point of my career, they’re the ones where I want to play my best tennis,” Djokovic said.

“This year, three out of four Slams and another final, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Alcaraz loving ‘beautiful battle’ with Djokovic for world No. 1 spot

September 27, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz is relishing his “beautiful battle” with Novak Djokovic to finish as year-end world No. 1, which the Spaniard says is one of his “main goals” for the season.

Alcaraz triumphed over Djokovic in a thrilling Wimbledon final this summer to clinch his second major title, but the Serbian swept the other three Grand Slams to take his all-time record haul to 24.

The generational battle has seen both players enjoy periods on the summit of the ATP rankings, with Djokovic currently occupying top spot.

Alcaraz will look to close the gap when he takes to the court at the China Open this week in Beijing, where he is the top seed.

“We have a really beautiful battle for the No. 1 spot after the great performance Djokovic had in the American season,” Alcaraz said.

“He’s the No. 1 right now. I’m coming here with extra motivation to try to recover it in the race, in the ranking.

“As I said, it’s something that I have in my mind every time that I practice, in every tournament.

“It’s not obligatory for me to recover that, but of course you have to put the goals in the year.

“For me [the] No. 1 spot is one of the main goals. In these great tournaments, I’m looking to do great to be able to be close or recover that number.”

Alcaraz will face qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the opening round in Beijing as he aims to pick up his seventh title of the season.

Highlights: Djokovic to face Medvedev in US Open final as Alcaraz shocked

The Beijing event is being staged for the first time since 2019 and Alcaraz will therefore be making his tournament debut.

But the youngster explained that his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former-semi-finalist in Beijing, has helped with his preparation.

“He told me a little bit about this tournament. Of course, since 2004 the tournament has improved a lot,” Alcaraz said.

“It is almost a different tournament. But he told me great things. He played great the years that he has played here. He told me that he enjoyed a lot playing here. Hopefully I feel the same way.”

Alcaraz’s return: Will he be recharged? Will he get back to world No. 1?

September 27, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz makes his return to tennis this week after three weeks off.

He pulled out of playing in the Davis Cup for Spain to “recharge the batteries”, and will be making his first appearance in China at this week’s ATP 500 event in Beijing.

The tournament is followed by the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.

Alcaraz returns with the chance to overtake Djokovic as world No. 1 before the season finishes, and will look to build momentum ahead of making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals.

How recharged will Alcaraz be?

The last time Alcaraz was on court he saw his hopes of a third Grand Slam title ended in the US Open semis by Medvedev.

It was a somewhat surprising result, given Alcaraz had beaten Medvedev in straight sets in Indian Wells earlier in the year, and then again at Wimbledon.

The 20-year-old put it down as another learning experience.

“I thought that right now I am a better player to find solutions when the match is not going in the right direction for you,” he said afterwards. “But after this match I’m going to change my mind: I’m not mature enough to handle these kind of matches. So I have to learn about it.”

Alcaraz then pulled out of Davis Cup duty with Spain as he wanted to rest and recharge ahead of the finish to the season.

Will he return and stamp his mark on the tour again, just as he has done previously when Djokovic has been out? Or could Medvedev cause him more problems? Might others even step up and challenge Alcaraz as the tour returns to China for the first time since 2019?

The Wimbledon champion has a tricky-looking draw, potentially opening against Zhuhai winner Karen Khachanov, with Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner also in the same half of the draw.

Will Alcaraz return to No. 1?

With a 3,260-point lead, Djokovic looks the favourite to finish as year-end No. 1 for an eighth time, which would be two more than any other player in ATP history.

However, Alcaraz has a chance to deny him.

Not only does Djokovic have a lot more points to defend over the next couple of months, but Alcaraz is also playing more tournaments.

Highlights: Djokovic to face Medvedev in US Open final as Alcaraz shocked

Over the next few weeks Alcaraz could gain a maximum of 1,500 points if he wins the China Open and Shanghai Masters. Djokovic is playing neither, and will be dropping 750 points from last year’s results.

Djokovic is likely to return for the Paris Masters and then play the Nitto ATP Finals. He has 2,100 points to defend across both, while Alcaraz has 180 points to defend in Paris but didn’t play the ATP Finals last year.

There’s the tantalising prospect of the No. 1 ranking being up for grabs in Turin, and a good week in Beijing would be the perfect start for Alcaraz as he looks to close the gap.

ATP Finals debut on the horizon

It seems crazy given his meteoric rise over the last 18 months that Alcaraz has not yet played the season-ending finals.

However, he missed them last year due to an injury, turning up in Turin instead to collect the year-end No. 1 trophy.

Alcaraz has already secured his spot at this year’s ATP Finals, along with Djokovic, and will be hoping he is fit to make his debut this season.

The tournament has not been won by a Spaniard since Alex Corretja in 1998.

Before the ATP Finals, Alcaraz looks set to play in Beijing and Shanghai, and then return to Europe for the Paris Masters.

Laver Cup lessons: Shelton and Tiafoe shine, Team Europe need reinforcements

September 25, 2023

Despite the one-sided scoreline it was another entertaining event with players from both sides putting on a show. But what did we learn from the Laver Cup?

Shelton: Entertainer and future Slam winner?

We already knew this, of course, but Ben Shelton’s performances at the Laver Cup simply reinforced that he is a very fun watch.

Not only does he have the game to entertain crowds, but he plays to entertain.

Given the chance to get Team World off to a winning start for the first time in Laver Cup history, Shelton did not disappoint, powering past Arthur Fils in straight sets.

“He’s sort of built for this type of environment,” said Team World vice-captain Patrick McEnroe afterwards.

“He feeds off the team. I think the team really feeds off him. He gives you a lot of energy when he’s out there.”

Shelton was also plenty animated on the sidelines and was involved in some amusing moments, including shouting ‘come on Johnny’ to Team World captain John McEnroe and explaining his trademark phone celebration to the former world No. 1.

Laver Cup highlights – Shelton and Tiafoe clinch overall triumph for Team World

His rise up the game has not gone unnoticed by tennis legend Rod Laver, who said about Shelton on social media: “Shelton is the new player on the tour. We’re going to see him winning a Slam.”

Shelton seems to love being on the big stage, and the big stage certainly loves having him.

Will Team Europe get reinforcements?

There’s no getting away from the fact that this was not Team Europe’s strongest-ever line-up.

Not only were there were no ‘Big Four’ members present for only the second time in Laver Cup history, but the team was weakened by the late injury withdrawals of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune.

With four debutants, it was always going to be a tough ask for the visitors.

Casper Ruud’s win was the only point they got on the board as chances of an upset quickly slipped away.

Federer ‘would love’ to see Alcaraz and Djokovic on same team at 2024 Laver Cup

Ruud said that Team Europe are “going to be eager” to win the Laver Cup next year in Berlin, but will home advantage alone turn the tables that much?

Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg will surely be hoping he can strengthen the team – and perhaps Roger Federer can help out.

Tiafoe comes up trumps again

Having been 4-0 down after the first day, it looked like Team Europe might have a sniff of turning things around after Ruud secured their first points with victory over Tommy Paul.

The last singles match of the second day seemed as though it could be in Team Europe’s favour as Hubert Hurkacz had won his last three meetings against Frances Tiafoe, who was also out to avoid a fourth straight singles loss.

But Tiafoe delivered for Team World, saving a set point in the first set and then thrilling fans with a behind-the-back shot when the finish line was in sight.

Tiafoe wins outrageous point after audacious behind-back shot

It was a crucial win that prevented Team Europe from building any possible momentum, and it was no surprise that Tiafoe – another player who seems to relish this environment – produced the goods.

He also won both his doubles matches, including the decisive rubber for the second year in a row.

Team World looked well stocked

This one-sided result was like the early days of the Laver Cup, only in reverse.

Team World were beaten 15-9 and then 13-8 in the first two editions of the tournament as they struggled to match the quality put forward by Team Europe, who had five top-10 players in 2017 and four in 2018.

This was the first time that Team World looked stronger on paper, and they showed up impressively on the court.

“Everyone showed up and played about as good as they could possibly play,” said Taylor Fritz afterwards.

Watch as Federer plays table tennis behind the scenes at Laver Cup

The group seems to get along very well and if they can stick together then Team Europe will have a fight to regain the trophy in the coming years.

There’s also the chance that Denis Shapovalov gets added to the team, or perhaps Nick Kyrgios, who didn’t feature this year due to injury.

Federer ‘would love’ to see Alcaraz and Djokovic at 2024 Laver Cup

September 24, 2023

Roger Federer wants to see Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at next year’s Laver Cup.

The tournament concluded on Sunday evening in Vancouver with a 13-2 triumph for Team World over Team Europe, and next year’s competition will take place in Berlin, Germany.

Speaking after the conclusion of the event, Federer spoke to Eurosport about the action.

He said: “They destroyed Team Europe. Team World played fantastic, they really brought the energy

“Everybody brought a point, they were stronger in the doubles. In the singles too, they were moving fast, they were ready to go. They thoroughly deserved victory.”

Federer described how he has been able to enjoy the tournament after his retirement, where he has spent much of his time with Rod Laver.

Legends Federer and Laver sit courtside as Laver Cup enters final day

He added: “I don’t miss it. It’s great to be back in the tennis family again, and the first time experiencing the Laver Cup with a totally different angle. Here I tried to watch every match and it’s been fantastic.

“We talk about the volleys and the doubles, and how it was back in the 60s and 70s.

“Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe both said how Rod Laver was their hero, he was way before my time but I know what he represents in tennis.”

Asked about the prospect of moving back to Europe for 2024’s tournament, the Swiss former world No. 1 was optimistic for Team Europe.

“We can speak German, very much looking forward to Berlin, a city I don’t know very well,” he began. “I can’t wait to go there. I think it’s great to take tennis back to Germany. I think we’ll have much better energy as Team Europe.”

Asked who he would like to see on Team Europe, for next season, he listed several big names, including the two best players on current form. He said: “I would like to see Novak again, Alcaraz and Novak on the same team. Sascha Zverev would be great for the German market. Someone like [Holger] Rune, that really hurt Team Europe.

“Rune and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas pulling out. [Daniil] Medvedev would be great. I like watching [Andrey] Rublev, and maybe someone will come through.”

Stream and watch the 2023 Laver Cup exclusively live across Europe on Eurosport and discovery+

A ‘really noticeable’ generational change is happening in tennis – Federer

September 22, 2023

Roger Federer says there is a “really noticeable” generational change happening in men’s and women’s tennis.

This year, two of tennis young stars have won Grand Slam titles. Carlos Alcaraz, 20, beat Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final while USA’s Coco Gauff, 19, lifted her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open by overcoming Australian Open 2023 champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (25).

Federer, who won 22 Grand Slam titles and 103 in total in his decorated career, believes the “records will always tumble”.

“A lot still going on in tennis of course, as always,” he said.

“The records will always tumble. Or just the stories always rewritten. And just for example the US Open was great with the record [24 Grand Slam titles] of course by Novak Djokovic.

“And of course I was also very happy about Coco Gauff’s victory. I’ve known her for five years, when she was very young, and this was a great victory for her.

“We have a new world No.1 in women’s tennis [Sabalenka], Alcaraz, who won Wimbledon.

“And just the new generational change is really noticeable. It’s a bit of a shame for me that I haven’t been able to play against a few in the last couple of years.

“But I think it’s great what’s going on in tennis at the moment and I still follow it very, very closely.”

Federer says tennis is in a healthy place right now and that more new players will continue to break up the dominance previously maintained by himself, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the men’s game.

Federer said: “I think it’s still going well, not that there would somehow be a slump after I retired or that Rafa is injured at the moment.

“The story continues and that will always be the case. Tennis will always be played by new players but at the same time, the way I see these players moving on the court now is unbelievable. And I think many more will come.

“The new players have interesting personalities and tennis is still right up there in the world of sport, and that is beautiful for me to see.”

Eight Wimbledon titles? Most weeks in a row as No. 1? Wilander ranks Federer’s achievements

Federer also reveals what he has been up to during his retirement.

“I’m surprised how much I actually still have going on,” he said.

“I was thinking, so okay, you stop and then there’s nothing left to do. But it’s not like that at all. I’m still very busy with all my partners together or then also for the foundation I’m travelling a lot, was also in Africa for the first time, in Lesotho, with the family. That was absolutely great.

“Then, of course, I was also at the UN right now, working for early learning in the world and especially in southern Africa, so that hopefully more children can go to school, because that needs a lot more money and a lot more opportunities from the big countries. And I’m committed to that and then I’m designing shoes, clothes, tennis racquets.

“So I’m still fully involved and I’m always very happy when there’s a new project for me.”

‘I want to learn from the best’ – Alcaraz on watching videos of Federer and Murray

Stream and watch the 2023 Laver Cup exclusively live across Europe on Eurosport and discovery+.

A ‘really noticeable’ generational change is happening in tennis – Federer

September 22, 2023