By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, January 13, 2024
Novak Djokovic's Australian Open dominance makes Carlos Alcaraz more determined to dethrone the defending champion down under.
Meeting the media in Melbourne ahead of his Australian Open first-round match vs. Richard Gasquet, Alcaraz said 10-time champion Djokovic's 89-8 AO record infuses "extra motivation for me" to take the title.
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The Wimbledon winner issued his main Melbourne mission statement: Reach the final and hopefully face Grand Slam king Djokovic there in a rematch of the 2023 Wimbledon final.
"I'm an ambitious guy," Alcaraz said. "I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what is my level. Obviously it's a good test, playing against him in the places or in the tournament that he's almost unbeaten.
"Yeah, I looking for reaching the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great obviously. But, yeah, knowing those stats, it's an extra motivation, for sure."
If that dream No. 1 vs. No. 2 finals clash comes off, Alcaraz would play for a second Grand Slam final win over Djokovic and to regain the world No. 1 ranking.
This will be Alcaraz's third AO appearance and first since his third-round run in 2022. Alcaraz missed the 2023 Australian Open recovering from a leg injury.
The draw doesn't provided a very smooth run to a finals run for Alcaraz.
Should the 20-year-old Spanish superstar beat Gasquet in his opener, he would face either Dan Evans or Lorenzo Sonego in round two with a potential fourth-round clash vs. 2023 AO semifinalist Tommy Paul, who has split four career meetings with Alcaraz.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz could face Olympic gold-medal champion Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. Zverev has won four of seven matches vs. Alcaraz, including a victory at the ATP Finals in Turin last fall to avenge the former world No. 1's US Open quarterfinal conquest.
Alcaraz would have to navigate all those threats just to get to a potential semifinal against former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, who knocked him out of the US Open last September.
Adding to the degree of difficulty: Alcaraz's long-time coach, former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, is not in Melbourne as he recovers from arthroscopic surgery to his left knee.
"Well, it's tough not being with him," Alcaraz said. "Obviously he travel almost 100% of the tournaments. Probably he miss just one or two last year. It's going to be difficult to approach a big tournament without him.
"I have Sam with me that is a great coach as well. He was coach of Juan Carlos when he was playing. I trust him. I believe in him. Juan Carlos, as well.
"I mean, I think I can learn a lot from him, as well. Let's see how is going to be. As I said, I trust him 100%."
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