Jimmy Connors warns Carlos Alcaraz against obsessing about Novak Djokovic

Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors has warned Carlos Alcaraz that focusing too much on Novak Djokovic would be detrimental to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz recently stated that he has Djokovic on his mind during most of his practice sessions, especially with the goal of clinching the top spot in the ATP rankings. While the Serb skipped the Asia leg this year, Alcaraz can displace him at the top if he manages to reach the final of the ongoing Shanghai Masters.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Connors feels that Alcaraz should not focus on any particular player as the ATP tour is filled with players who have differing styles and game plans.

"My first thought about it [Alcaraz's quote] is, I get that, even though Alcaraz beat him at Wimbledon, he's been kind of a thorn in his side a little bit. But he’s got to be careful doing that because then you're preparing for only one guy," he said in an episode of the Advantage Connors podcast.

"And I understand also that you think ‘well if I’m playing good enough to be that guy, I'll be able to beat everybody else too’ but that's not really true because other guys have different games, as he saw with Sinner. And the way he plays is different than the way Novak, Alcaraz or Medvedev. These guys, they're big, they're strong," Connors continued.

"Some guys take a little bit more advantage of a short ball. Other guys play six, eight or 10 feet behind the baseline and are able to hit winners from back there, like Medvedev. You've got to be prepared for everybody that you play. So it's your game. I would go out and I'd work on my game, because I thought my games should be good enough to play anybody, not just to play one guy but to play anybody," he added.

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Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic: A brief look at their head-to-head record

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have faced each other four times on the tour to date and are tied in the head-to-head with two wins apiece.

The pair faced each other for the first time on the claycourts of Madrid in 2022, where Alcaraz won 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) en route to clinching the title. They next faced off in the semifinals of the French Open this season, with Djokovic emerging victorious by a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 margin.

Later, the two locked horns in the Wimbledon final, where Alcaraz defeated Djokovic 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win his second Grand Slam title.

Their most recent meeting came in the final of the Cincinnati Masters, where the Serb saved four championship points to win 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4), and take home his 39th Masters 1000 title.