With Novak Djokovic taking a break from tennis after winning the US Open, the ATP No. 1 cannot escape thoughts of his budding rivallry with Carlos Alcaraz.
The 20-year-old Spaniard who lost the New York final to the Serb this month is part of a new generation of opponents for Djokovic, 36 and the all-time leader in Grand Slam singles titles with 24.
Djokovic flew to Rome this week for a golf exhibition before the Ryder Cup and let slip with a few thoughts about the next phase of his career.
Djokovic beat the youngster for the Cincinnati and Open titles while losing the Wimbledon title match last July.
“The future of tennis is looking pretty good, with Carlos leading the way,” Djokovic said, “We’ve had some exciting matches, especially this year, with the Wimbledon and Cincinnati finals, one of the best three-set matches I’ve ever played in
“It’s great for our sport that there are more and more rivalries, although it is clear that the rivalries with Roger and Rafa, and also with Andy (Murray), are very high for me.”
Djokovic expects that his time will likely run out against Alcaraz before a true rivallry can be established.
“I’ve only played with Carlos on four occasions.
“Hopefully “If I can play against him as many times as I faced the others (laughs), that would mean that he would be there, in the ointment, for years to come.
“I doubt it, but we’ll see how it goes.”
With his season now boiling down to the Paris Bercy Masters – he lost the final last season to Holger Rune – the Davis Cup Finals for Serbia and the ATP Finals in Turin, Djokovic will have his plate full in November.
“I’ve have had a fantastic year; the Grand Slams are the most important thing for me at this moment in my career, the tournaments in which I want to show my best tennis.
“This year I have won three of the four Majors and reached the final in another “I can’t ask for much more.”
