World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz admits he is “hungry” to return to the world No 1 spot but underlined that overtaking Novak Djokovic is “going to be really tough.” After winning the US Open, Alcaraz became the youngest No 1 in tennis history and later the youngest Year-End No 1 in tennis history.
But Alcaraz was forced to skip this year’s Australian Open, while Djokovic made it all the way at Melbourne Park. Following his Australian Open triumph, Djokovic replaced Alcaraz at the top spot. “It’s a great goal for me, but it’s going to be really tough as Djokovic deserves so much to be there, but I’m really hungry to go to the tournaments, to win them and to return to number one, that’s a big goal for me this year,” Alcaraz said on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast.
Alcaraz’s coach on Djokovic’s Australian Open win
Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach of Alcaraz, recently shared his thoughts on Djokovic winning the Australian Open while dealing with a hamstring injury. Ferrero did not call Djokovic directly “a liar” but did say that winning a Grand Slam with such an injury was “very difficult, if not impossible.” “I am not going to call Djokovic a liar, but I will only say that I find it difficult.
I see it as difficult, if it were so, Djokovic would move as he did. Obviously if he has the ability to withstand brutal pain, which may be, good for him and he deserved to win. Personally, after having played my entire career and having injuries, I see it as very, very difficult, if not impossible.
Obviously when he says it, he will explain it well, the tournament director [Craig Tiley] has said it and you have to trust what they say,” Ferrero said. It remains to be seen if Alcaraz can return to the world No 1 in 2023.
