'Rafael Nadal will challenge Carlos Alcaraz,' Novak Djokovic says

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• Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are separated by 700 points on the ATP Race list. The younger Spaniard has a chance to increase the advantage in Basel this week, making a winning start on Monday night and hoping for more in the rest of the event.

Nadal has not played since the US Open, struggling with an abdominal injury since Wimbledon and working hard on his comeback. It will happen in Paris next week, as the 22-time Major champion decided to play the season's last two tournaments and battle for a year-end no.

1 honor with his compatriot. Novak Djokovic will be their main rival in Paris, seeking his seventh title in the French capital and the fourth in a row after Wimbledon, Tel Aviv and Astana. The Serb believes Nadal will challenge Alcaraz for the year-end no.

1 spot in the next couple of weeks.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are the year-end no. 1 favorites.

Rafa will be eager to finish the season on a high note and chase the title he is missing in his rich collection. Nadal had a couple of chances to win the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, squandering them and hoping for more chances this year.

It will not be easy, though, especially if he fails to serve at his best after an injury and such a long break. Nadal withdrew ahead of the Wimbledon semi-final and has played only five matches since then. He experienced an early Cincinnati loss and fell to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open fourth round, missing a chance to become world no.

1 after New York. Alcaraz and Nadal are the top favorites in a year-end no. 1 battle, with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud waiting for their opportunities. "Alcaraz is world no. 1, and there's nothing to add; rankings show it.

Indeed, I did not play enough tournaments this year and did not get Wimbledon points; maybe it would have been different in different circumstances, but there's nothing to do about that. Carlos deserves to be there, and I congratulate him for everything he has achieved.

Such a young player has accomplished so much, and it's good for tennis because it attracts a lot of attention for our sport. I'm sure Nadal will try to dethrone him until the end of the year; he has a chance. After that, we will all turn a new page next season, so let's see what will happen," Novak Djokovic said.