Carlos Alcaraz, after the injury that forced him to give up the last tournaments of the year plus those at the beginning of 2023, has staged a great return to victory on the circuit: victory in the 250 in Buenos Aires and the first two games won in the 500 of Rio de Janeiro.
Carlos Alcaraz, after the injury that forced him to give up the last tournaments of the year plus those at the beginning of 2023, has staged a great return to victory on the circuit: victory in the 250 in Buenos Aires and the first two games won in the 500 of Rio de Janeiro.
Thus, the fight of the Murcian tennis player towards the top of the ranking that Novak Djokovic occupies is resumed. The coach of the young Iberian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, referred to this and many other aspects: "It is a strange coincidence.
They are numbers: the year has just begun, Djokovic is playing at a stratospheric level and what Carlos has to do is be at his highest level to be able to compete every week, getting positive tournaments that make him be close to Novak", said the former tennis player and coach.
"The way the year has started, I think he has shown that Novak deserves to be number one. We started a bit later. I think it will be a good fight between the two of them and also between other players like Tsitsipas, Medvedev or others who are near.
We are very motivated to do it and we will give it our all." If Roland Garros is his big goal: "Roland Garros is a nice goal. I would be very happy to play better than last year there. Is the real goal to win a Grand Slam? Obviously, after winning one you feel empowered to win another.
I think he has the level, the qualities and the surface to fight for the title, but obviously we know that there is Rafa, who if he is at a good level will be the favourite, and Djokovic, who also has a very high level on clay.
It will be very difficult, but I am sure that he will give his best and so will I." On Djokovic's injury in Australia. "I am not going to call Djokovic a liar, but I will only say that I find it difficult. The tears and tears, his own word says it: the muscle is broken.
I see it as difficult, if he were, Djokovic would move as he has moved."
Novak Djokovic has the potential to win the Calendar Grand Slam in 2023 more than ever before, suggests former Australian tennis player Todd Woodbridge.
"I think that Novak Djokovic has the best opportunity he's ever had to win the [Calendar] Grand Slam. I think all four Majors are on the table for him this year. I believe that, that is the absolute goal for him this season. I think he's going to look at his schedule.
He's going to orchestrate it so that he is at peak performance in all four Majors," he said. "I just think the stars might be aligning for him given everything that's unfolded over the last few years. He was just so far above anybody else on the men's side at the Australian Open. I haven't seen that gap so wide in my time," Woodbridge observed.