Claiming to be the underdog in the tennis match on Sunday, Novak Djokovic called Carlos Alcaraz “the best player in the world right now.”
In essence, the Wimbledon final from earlier this summer will be repeated in the men’s singles final in Paris in 2024.
Alcaraz won three of the previous five major slams, including the French Open at Roland Garros less than two months ago, and is predicted to win again at SW19.
Ahead of their match, Djokovic has praised the Spaniard but also cautioned him that anything can happen at the Olympics, whether he’s simply being truthful or trying to intimidate his opponent.
Alcaraz has demonstrated that he is currently the top player in the world, therefore I don’t see myself as the favorite on Sunday, the Serbian stated.
“He advanced to the finals [here] without dropping a set. He defeated me in the Wimbledon finals and won Roland Garros.” I mean, I did too, but based on his playing style, I believe he is a favorite.
However, since it’s the Olympics, I believe anyone can win. We haven’t played each other on clay in a long; I believe our only match here was in the Roland Garros semifinal last year, which Djokovic won.
“I feel like my movement and ball-striking have changed from when I played at Wimbledon.” Not that he deserved to win the Wimbledon finals; he was a dominant player. Nevertheless, I feel more assured about my chances of winning the tournament.
Djokovic made history by winning a record 24 major titles, but he has only ever taken home one Olympic medal, a bronze from Beijing 2008, in his maiden final appearance.
Should he win, he will join Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal as the only players in history to accomplish a “Career Golden Slam”—winning all four major titles plus an Olympic gold medal.
“It’s a huge relief because, despite my best efforts, I never made it to the Olympic finals,” the 37-year-old continued.
“I competed in three out of the four Olympic Games, made it to the semifinals, and took home the bronze in the opening round in Beijing, but I kind of fell short after that.”
“So, whatever happens on Sunday, I am obviously very proud, honored, and happy about winning a higher medal for my country for the first time, which is why I celebrated the way I did [in the semi-finals].”