Carlos Alcaraz : "Novak Djokovic is on my mind almost in every practice"

Carlos Alcaraz has recently stated that the reigning World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is on his mind during most of his practice sessions.

The Spaniard captured his first Wimbledon title this year, outclassing the Serb Djokovic in an epic five-set contest in the finals. He is currently competing at the Asian tennis swing and is gearing up for his opening encounter at the Shanghai Masters.

Reflecting on his rivalry with Djokovic, Alcaraz mentioned that he thinks about the veteran in almost all of his practice sessions. He gave his fans insight about what needs to be done to be at par with the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

"Almost in every practice, I'm not gonna lie, I practice with a goal, I go to a tournament with a goal. It's trying to end the year as world No. 1. So Novak Djokovic is on my mind almost in every practice. I have to practice at my best, I have to go 100% in every ball to be able to catch him," Carlos Alcaraz said

The Spaniard has locked horns with Djokovic four times and the head-to-head between the duo is locked at 2-2. The Serb won their most recent encounter at the Cincinnati Open and also defeated him in the semifinals of the French Open this year. Following Alcaraz's semifinal exit at the US Open, Djokovic also regained the No. 1 spot in the latest ATP rankings. With the ATP Finals on the cards, both players will be hoping to finish the season on a strong note.

While Djokovic is yet to make his comeback since capturing the US Open, Alacaraz recently participated at the China Open in Beijing. He began his campaign breezing past Yannick Hanfmann in the first round and then outfoxed the likes of Lorenzo Musetti and Casper Ruud en route to the last four. The Spaniard's run eventually came to an end at the hands of Jannik Sinner, who scored a solid straight sets victory 7-6(4), 6-1.

Carlos Alcaraz to take on Grégoire Barrère in the second round of the Shanghai Masters

2023 China Open - Day 8- Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz will square off against Gregoire Barrere in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday.

While Alcaraz entered Shanghai on the back of a semifinal finish in Beijing, Barrere registered a disappointing first round exit at the Astana Open. The Frenchman made amends with a solid straight sets win over Nuno Borges in the first round in Shanghai.

The head-to-head between the duo is poised at 0-0. They have never faced each other on the main tour.

Alcaraz will be the clear favorite to clinch this tie and begin his campaign with a win. He has a 76% win ratio on hardcourts and will be eager to make a deep run at the event. The winner of this tie could take on Mikhail Kukushkin or Dan Evans in the third round.