"From Canada all the way to the US Open, we saw more frustration in Carlos Alcaraz than ever" - Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski

Carlos Alcaraz had a frustrating North American hardcourt swing, according to former British-Canadian player Greg Rusedski.

Hot on the heels of his Wimbledon Championships triumph, Alcaraz entered the Canadian Open, where he faced a quarterfinal elimination at the hands of Tommy Paul. He fared better at the Cincinnati Open, where he finished as the runner-up after losing to Novak Djokovic in the final.

At the US Open, where he was defending his title, Alcaraz had a dominant run to reach the semifinal, where an inspired Daniil Medvedev prevailed in four sets.

Looking back at the Spaniard's recent performances, former British No. 1 Rusedski opined that the youngster missed the Davis Cup recently as he was mentally exhausted. He said that he needed to rest and recover after having a frustrating time during the American hardcourt summer.

"I think that's one of the reasons why he (Carlos Alcaraz) missed the Davis Cup. Because mentally he is so fatigued from everything that he's been through. He needs a little break," he said on the latest episode of Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast.

"Let's not forget, from Canada all the way to the US Open, we saw more frustration in Carlos than we've seen throughout the last few years. So this is a nice time for him to reset," he added.

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"I do hope we get that final" - Greg Rusedski on Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic facing off in the ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic won the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

With Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic having qualified for the ATP Finals this year, Greg Rusedski is hopeful that the two dominant forces of the ATP tour will face each other at the event.

Rusedski also said that Alcaraz will be eager to do well and throw down the gauntlet for the 2024 season.

"I think we could see that (Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz on an indoor hardcourt at the ATP Finals). I think Carlos has something to prove as he will be bitterly disappointed. He wants to throw the gauntlet down for the beginning of the year at Australian (Open). I think that he's going to be in great shape physically and mentally," he said.

The Brit added that Alcaraz might not have a lot of fan support considering the event is happening in Turin, Italy, and home favorite Jannik Sinner will also be in action. Additionally, Djokovic also gets huge support from Italians.

"I do hope we get that final. But conditions also are pretty quick, pretty fast. And they have some Italian guy there they might be cheering for, Sinner. Djokovic in Italy is absolutely loved. He is the fan favorite. I have a lot of Italian friends, [to them it's] 'Djokovic, Djokovic, Djokovic'," he said.