"It's great that Novak Djokovic knows every time he's going to play against me, it reminds him of Rafael Nadal" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz is delighted to learn that Novak Djokovic felt like playing against Rafael Nadal when he took on the teenager in the final of the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

On Sunday, August 20, Carlos Alcaraz experienced a bitter 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-7(4) defeat at the hands of Serb, in a blockbuster battle that ended just a few minutes shy of four hours.

In his press conference following the match, when asked how difficult the contest was for him, Carlos Alcaraz stated that it was physically exhausting to go toe-to-toe with the World No. 2.

“Well, yeah, today was really, really difficult playing against Novak. I mean, he always put almost five, six, seven balls in every point. So fighting and running from one corner to other one every point is really tough to deal with it almost the whole match”, he said.

The 20-year-old was glad to know about the praise levied on him by Djokovic at his own press conference and felt that it meant he was on the right path in his career.

“I try to stay there, to stay good physically, but it was tough. As I said, I left everything on court. For me, obviously it's great that he knows that every time he's going to play against me, reminds him playing against Rafa or against the best ones because that means we are in a good path”’ he added.

The Serbian legend had remarked that it was a rollercoaster ride of a match, with twists and turns galore. He even likened it to the intense showdown he had with Rafael Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final.

“It's crazy match that we've been through today. Roller coaster of a match, to be honest. I don't think I've played too many matches like this in my life. Maybe I can compare it to Nadal finals in Australian Open 2012 that went the distance. Obviously three sets today, but almost four hours”, he said.

Carlos Alcaraz believes Novak Djokovic is the best player in the world at the moment

Novak Djokovic after winning 2023 Cincinnati Open

After defeating Novak Djokovic to win his first Wimbledon title just over a month ago, Alcaraz proclaimed that he considers the Serb to be the best tennis player in the world at the moment and wishes to beat him frequently in major tournaments.

At the press conference following his triumph, the World No. 1 said:

"I still consider Novak the best honestly. I have to beat him more than once or twice in big games. I have Novak on my eyes, I really want to play more times against him. As I have said, if you want to be the best, you want to beat the best."

Having not been able to pull it off in Cincinnati, he will be looking forward to downing the Serb next at the US Open, which begins next week. Carlos Alcaraz will also be hoping to defend his title at Flushing Meadows, while Djokovic will be on the hunt for his fourth title in New York.