Novak Djokovic may not be able to beat Carlos Alcaraz at 2023 French Open, suggests Spencer Segura

Former American tennis player Spencer Segura feels Novak Djokovic will have a tough time getting past Carlos Alcaraz if the duo meet at the 2023 French Open.

Djokovic has had a less than ideal claycourt season his year. The Serb hasn’t been able to lift a title so far and has also failed to progress past the quarter-finals of a single event. He has also spent time on the sidelines due to an elbow injury.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, has been choosing his tournaments wisely after a late start to his 2023 campaign due to injury. He has, however, earned favorable results in almost all tournaments he has participated.

So far, the Spaniard has secured 30 wins against a mere three losses. He has also featured in four finals of the five claycourt tournaments contested this year, and has won three titles – in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Madrid.

Former American tennis player Spencer Segura recently stated that Carlos Alcaraz’s Madrid Open title defense, in addition to the other campaigns, is a good enough result to declare him the favorite to win the 2023 French Open title. He also suggested that there is no player who can beat the 2022 US Open champion.

“Alcaraz wins this Madrid, I think he is the favorite for the French. No question. And I don’t know who can beat him,” Spencer Segura said during a recent appearance on the Advantage Connors podcast.

He also opined that an out-of-form Novak Djokovic will not be able to battle past the indomitable 20-year-old if the Serb has to overcome tough matches in the early rounds of the French Open.

“And, I mean, if Djokovic plays two tough matches, how is he going to beat this kid? I’d like to see it,” he said.

Given that Alcaraz and Djokovic are ranked one and two in the world, respectively, the duo are likely to be seeded in opposite halves at the French Open, meaning that they won’t clash unless they make the final. This, however, is expected to change if World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev wins the ongoing Italian Open and replaces the Serb as the World No. 2.

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"I still have the hunger to keep going" – Novak Djokovic on putting up a good fight against youngsters such as Carlos Alcaraz at 2023 French Open

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Italian Open

Novak Djokovic faced a quarter-final exit against 20-year-old Holger Rune during his latest 2023 Italian Open title defense stint. He, however, is still hopeful about his chances at the 2023 French Open.

The Serb stated that, while the new generation, comprising of players such as Rune and Carlos Alcaraz, has already arrived, he still has the hunger to keep going.

"Yeah, obviously, a new generation is here already. I mean, Alcaraz is No. 1 in the world from Monday. Obviously, he's playing amazing tennis,” he said after his Italian Open exit.

"I'm personally still trying to hang in there with all of them. I'm happy with - of course, very happy with - my career so far. I still have the hunger to keep going. Let's see how far I'm going to play," he added.