The most attractive match on the modern tennis scene, a confrontation between the two strongest tennis players in the world, the Spaniard. Carlos Alcaraz and Serbian Novak Djokovicthis is the one that could happen in a hypothetical match of the semi-finals or final of the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, in which the Murcian will challenge the player from Belgrade.
They will be some ATP Finals special events that will take place for the third time in a row at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12 to 19 November. They are the first to be the sensation of the track, Alcaraz, who was already there last year, but only to receive an award that recognized him as number 1 of the year, as he was unable to participate due to an elbow injury.
Already at that moment, almost a year ago, he was able to see with his own eyes how “Nole” won his sixth Masters title and how he was placed on the same level as Roger Federer. Their paths have crossed several times this year, but the highlight was the Wimbledon final, which ended in victory for Alcaraz, who is now convinced, after his recent exit in Paris, that he can return to his best level.
“I expect a Carlos similar to the one at the beginning of the year, despite the results I have achieved in the last tournaments,” assured Alcaraz from Turin and added.
The defeat in Paris, which was quite painful, made me realize that I need to work even harder.
Later he stood out.
And that’s what I did. You should always look on the positive side of things. I had a few days to train and come here in optimal shape. I’ve done a lot of work, both physically and tennis-wise. I feel very good.
Alcaraz is the heavy favorite in the Red Group, in which he will face Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev and Germany’s Alexander Zverev.
The opponent to beat is without a doubt Novak Djokovic, who surprisingly could lose the year’s No. 1 if a difficult combination of results occurs and he doesn’t win a single match at the tournament. In this case, and as long as Alcaraz wins all of his, he will switch places with the Murcian. What Alcaraz considers “virtually lost.”
The main goal was to fight for number one, and I almost lost it. That’s something I’m going to try to use to my advantage because I’m not going to think about it. I’m going to make my debut at the ATP Finals and we’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible. For me, being here is a gift, although I obviously deserve it.
Djokovic, seeded in the green group, will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Denmark’s Holger Rune and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, although the latter is in doubt after suffering discomfort in training with Carlos Alcaraz. If he is absent, his replacement will be the Pole Hubert Hurkacz.
The Serb has a clear goal. He first became number 1 and then won the tournament, which made him the tennis player with the most Masters Cups.
“For me the biggest goal now is to finish the season number 1 in the world, so I hope I can achieve that. I need a win, so I hope it happens,” Djokovic said.
And, of course, I would also like to win the tournament.
“Apart from the Grand Slam, this is the most important tournament in this sport. And the eight best players in the world have worked very hard all year. “It’s a great privilege for me,” the reigning No. 1 said.
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At stake is also the biggest prize in tennis history: a $15 million purse, from which the undefeated winner will take home $4 million 801 thousand 500.
(according to information from EFE)
Source: Aristegui Noticias
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.