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From retiring against Holger Rune at Paris-Bercy to losing the ATP Finals. After the break, the number one in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, is ready to get back on track. Although, of course, at an exhibition tournament on the eve of the new season.
In fact, 'Carlitos' will take part in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, already a historic off-season event, and will face Andrey Rublev, whom he has beaten in his three previous matches on the main circuit. During the presentation press conference, the Spaniard also took the opportunity to talk about Novak Djokovic -who with the Wimbledon points would have snatched the top spot in the ranking-, back in Australia after a year's absence.
"Tennis is a better sport when the best play," he stated with some frankness. "And it's also good for the people who come to see him, for all the fans. Personally, I want to see Djokovic play every tournament. I have always said and I continue to say that to be the best you have to beat the best and having Djokovic on the circuit is great luck", he stated.
Alcaraz, as we said, forced to skip the last two tournaments of the season, confirmed that he is 100% again or at least ready to face the new season and that he has overcome the problems that had prevented him from participating in the Atp Finals and the Davis Cup.
"Finally I feel good. I have had a month to recover from my abdominal problem, I trained normally last week and I already feel capable of competing against the best," he declared on the eve of the challenge with Rublev. With the victory in the US Open, and the failures of others in the final stretch of the season, the talented Spaniard has managed to maintain the first position in the ranking.
Aware that he will have to achieve more and, above all, defend the points accumulated last season to stay at the top. "Having this weight on my shoulders will obviously condition me a bit more."
Wilander reflects on Djokovic
Mats Wilander defended Novak Djokovic: “There is more showmanship in professional tennis now, and the showmanship of emotions is what attracts people in front of their screen in general.
So I like that side. Djokovic has to deal with the gaze of millions of people all the time, except during a game when it's just him and another person. He exchanges with this person, and this exchange includes his emotions, his thoughts and his physical state.
So I don't take anything special from it, except that the guy is an absolute physical beast, and emotionally he's also an animal on a tennis court. It's fantastic ! “, underlined the former world number 1, consultant for Eurosport.