Google News Novak Djokovic speaks extremely highly of Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Madrid match
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 2868
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has called Carlos Alcaraz a special player and a very nice guy off the court. On Friday, Djokovic saw off Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets to progress into the Madrid semifinal. There, Djokovic will play Alcaraz, who defeated Rafael Nadal to reach his maiden Madrid semifinal.
"Well, there is a lot of things that are special about him. I mean, he has broken a lot of records as the youngest player, top 10, obviously in the recent decades, because we had some amazing champions like Michael Chang when he was 16, you know, won a slam and so forth," Djokovic said of Alcaraz, per Sportskeeda.
"But, you know, nowadays we are not used to seeing somebody who is teenager and already getting to top 10 and playing on such a high level. His growth, his improvement, and his journey particularly the last six months has been amazing."
Djokovic: Alcaraz a great talent but also a very good person
Alcaraz is often to compared to Nadal but not just because of his tennis skills.
Like Nadal, Alcaraz is also known as a very nice and humble guy. "He's very nice guy off the court. I got a little bit of chance to practice with him and to spend a bit of time off the court with him around here in Madrid and last week, and I must say that in all fronts, on and off the court, he's (indicating two thumbs up) great," Djokovic said.
Ahead of his first meeting versus Alcaraz, Djokovic admitted that he likes to watch the 19-year-old Spaniard. "I love to watch him play, as a lot of other players on the tour. I praise his game without a doubt. He's fantastic for our sport, no doubt.
I think it's great that we have a young player who is doing so well and giving a new fresh breath to the tennis world," Djokovic added. Alcaraz is having a great 2022 season and Djokovic certainly won't be taking the 19-year-old for granted.