"I just want to keep going" - Carlos Alcaraz 'hopeful' of matching Novak Djokovic's 24 Grand Slams after winning his 3rd at French Open

After winning the 2024 French Open on Sunday, June 9, Carlos Alcaraz said he was hopeful of matching Novak Djokoivc's record of 24 Grand Slams titles. He defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in four hours and 19 minutes to win his third Major.

During the post-match press conference, Alacaraz was asked whether he dreamed about matching Djokovic's tally of 24 Majors. The Spaniard said he hoped to reach the number while revealing a recent conversation with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz sad:

"I don't know (smiles), I hope so. We, well, I talked to Juan Carlos few days ago that, well it was yesterday actually, well before facing this final and he told me, ‘You are going to fight for your third Grand Slam title, with everything you have been through and you know the difficult part of winning a Grand Slam.'"

He further said the Serb's 24 Majors was an "unbelievable" feat that he didn't want to think about at the moment.

"And Djokovic has 24. So it is unbelievable, right now I can't think about it," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz said he just wanted to keep going and see how much he achieves by the end of his career. Although he would like to match Djokovic's numbers in the future, the 21-year-old wants to enjoy his current success and not worry about the future at the moment.

"I just want to keep going and let's see how many Grand Slams I'm going to take at the end of my career. Hopefully, reach the 24 but right now, I'm going to enjoy my third one and let's see in the future," he said.

Carlos Alcaraz's French Open triumph helps him overtake Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

With his maiden French Open triumph, Carlos Alcaraz has overtaken Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings. The Serb entered the tournament as the World No. 1 and had Jannik Sinner and the Spaniard chasing him for the top position.

Djokovic played well as he won five-setters against Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo. However, he suffered a medial meniscus tear on his right knee during his match against the Argentine, forcing him to withdraw from the tournament before his quarterfinal clash against Casper Ruud.

As a result, the Serb dropped 1600 points, falling back to third place in the rankings. Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz take the top two spots respectively. Following the Serb are Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, rounding up the Top 5.