"Carlos Alcaraz knows his journey is going to have Novak Djokovic in front" - Roger Federer's ex-coach

Roger Federer's former coach, Paul Annacone, recently gave his views on the fledgling rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz and Djokovic have been, by far, the two best players on the ATP tour in 2023, having picked up all four Majors of the year. Having said that, the Serb has denied his younger rival in some closely contested matches despite being 16 years older than him and is also the firm favorite to clinch the year-end World No. 1 position.

The World No. 2 Spaniard is himself aware of how the 24-time Major winner may have impeded his steep upward trajectory. Last month, he even went as far as to assert that Djokovic is "in his mind in every practice".

“I think [about Djokovic] almost in every practice, I am not going to lie. I train with a goal. I go to the tournaments with a goal. To try to end the year as No. 1. He is on my mind in almost every practice. I have to practice my best. I have to go for 100% in every ball to be able to catch him," Carlos Alcaraz told the ATP in October.

Earlier on Thursday (November 9), Paul Annacone alluded to the above quote while discussing Carlos Alcaraz's journey on the ATP tour with Tennis Channel. He insisted that the Spaniard and his team will have to deal with Novak Djokovic at the big events for a considerable period.

"The Alcaraz quote I wanted to get back to. I'm thinking about Djokovic like he's on my mind. Sure, he's going to be focused on him... I think Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferro do such a good job at looking at the macro, that they're going to focus on the big picture. And they know that that journey is going to have Novak in front of them for the time being. Yeah, the age gap is a big point in this," he said.

The famous coach, who worked with Roger Federer and Pete Sampras in the past, also showered praise on the young Spaniard for his "ability to look at the big picture". He said:

"As he continues to play, and even already when you watch his schedule, you see his ability to look at the big picture. So sure, it gives him a target to emulate and to look at."

Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a career-best season on the ATP tour in 2023

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Novak Djokovic pose during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships trophy ceremony.

Although Carlos Alcaraz has played second fiddle to Novak Djokovic this year, he can take pride in the season he has put together in 2023. The Spaniard has accumulated a 63-10 win/loss record, with six titles and nearly US $10 million in prize money to boot.

The highlights of the Spaniard's season include winning big titles at Wimbledon, Indian Wells and Madrid. Apart from those tournaments, he has also reigned supreme at the Queen's Club Championships, the Barcelona Open and the Argentina Open.

The 20-year-old's Wimbledon triumph, in particular, was his best moment of the year. He overcame a slow start in the final against seven-time titlist Djokovic to outlast him 1–6, 7–6 (6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 in a titanic five-set match.