Novak Djokovic began the season with a 12-0 run, winning Adelaide and the Australian Open and replacing Alcaraz on the ATP throne. Novak became the only player with 378 weeks as world No. 1, setting his sights on some 400 weeks on the throne.
Alcaraz was in a much better position than Djokovic after last year’s US Open, winning the title and becoming the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history. Instead of building on that, Carlos played just a couple more tournaments at the end of the season and missed the opportunity to add more trophies to his already impressive collection.
The Spaniard withdrew in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters due to an abdominal injury and skipped the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals. However, he finished the season as number 1 for the year, setting another age record that will be hard to break.
Alcaraz missed the Australian Open with a leg injury and lost the ATP throne to Djokovic. On the other hand, Djokovic has been a player to beat since Wimbledon last year, hardly losing a match and winning six titles from the previous seven tournaments.
Novak will be looking for more points in Dubai next week after losing in the quarter-finals a year ago. The Serb would love to compete in Indian Wells and Miami, and if that doesn’t happen, we’ll see him in action on clay at Monte Carlo in Banja Luka in April.
Novak Djokovic has already trained in Dubai, where he has also enjoyed the beaches before starting the action in this ATP 500. For his part, Carlos Alcaraz reached the final of the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro, where he will face the British Cameron norrie.
Djokovic began the season with a 12-0 run
In 2021, Novak Djokovic was one match away (the US Open final lost to Daniil Medvedev) from achieving what no one has managed to do since Rod Laver in 1969: the calendar Grand Slam, that is âsay winning the four Majors in one season.
Todd Woodbridge, former world number 1 in doubles, believes more than ever in Nole for this 2023 season. “I think Novak Djokovic has the best opportunity he has ever had to achieve the calendar Grand Slam. I believe that is his absolute goal this season.
I think he will look at his calendar. He will orchestrate it in such a way as to be at the top during the four Majors. Why do I think he can? Because he learned to manage an incredible amount of stress, anxiety,” said the Australian in the AO Show podcast.
The Serb has gone a quarter of the way. The next stage is called RolandâGarros (May 28 to June 11).
