Novak Djokovic, who has been absent from the tennis circuit since his defeat in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships against Daniil Medvedev on March 1, has taken notice of the young stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. [expander_maker id=”1″ ] Despite not playing in Indian Wells and Miami, the world number one has commented on the rivalry between the two youngsters, saying that it can only be good for tennis.
While Djokovic has mostly spent his time away from the court with his family, he did keep an eye on the sport during this time. He stated that he watched match highlights and some points from the tournaments in California and Florida. Among those points, he mentioned the very spectacular ones between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, especially that one.
The rivalry between the two has quickly become one of the most fascinating in tennis, with the two rising stars competing against each other six times despite their young age. They represent the future of men’s tennis, according to several experts, and Novak Djokovic agrees. He mentioned that having a young champion like Alcaraz is a great opportunity for tennis and that it is refreshing to have a new and exciting rivalry like the one between Sinner and Alcaraz.
During his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday, Djokovic addressed the subject again, stating that the emerging rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner is great for the sport. He also said that he is sure that the two, as well as Holger Rune, could form the next Big 3 and become the leaders of tennis in the future.
While Djokovic is nearing the end of his career, his presence at the top of tennis is still being felt, as he remains the world number one. Despite his legendary status, however, he continues to face stiff competition from the younger generation. Two of his four losses in the last eleven months came from Alcaraz and Rune.
As Federer enjoys his retirement, and Nadal battles the physical injuries that have derailed his career for 18 months, Djokovic is keeping his competitive edge sharp. Rather than seeing the emergence of these young stars as a threat, Djokovic has taken it as a source of motivation. It keeps him alert and his fire burning.[/expander_maker]