Carlos Alcaraz has lost some of his momentum after defeating Novak Djokovic in a spectacular Wimbledon final last summer, but he is desperate to get back on track following some heated comments in Argentina.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 7-5 in the opener of his comeback since losing to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. This victory solidified Alcaraz’s status as a formidable force on clay courts in 2024.
But even with his recent slump and Italy’s Jannik Sinner’s ascent to the top of the tennis rankings with his victory at the Australian Open last month, Alcaraz is still considering his old foe, Novak Djokovic.
The great, who has won 24 Grand Slams, has long held the top spot in the ATP rankings. However, Alcaraz briefly dethroned him when Djokovic was unable to enter tournaments because of his COVID vaccination status.
Alcaraz expressed his readiness to retake the top spot with these remarks following his victory over Carabelli.
Concerning his ascent back to the top of the global rankings, Alcaraz stated, “It’s a goal.” “You must establish objectives for yourself. I’m making an effort to proceed.
“There are excellent players vying for the top spot. It promises to be an exciting battle. I’m hoping to be better soon.
Over the next two weeks, Alcaraz’s chances of regaining the world No. 1 ranking seem slim to none, as Djokovic is expected to widen his lead at the top of the ATP rankings as he gets ready to play again at the Indian Wells tournament next month.
Since Djokovic was denied entry into the United States last year, he is not defending any ranking points in a tournament that Alcaraz won in 2023.
Therefore, even though Alcaraz will lose 1,000 points from his record ranking when the Indian Wells event begins this year, he will not be able to surpass his current ranking point total.
In the fight for No. 2, Daniil Medvedev and a fast-rising Sinner might surpass Alcaraz if he fails to win, which would cause him to fall down the rankings.
Alcaraz has a lot of ground to make up during the clay court season and has 2,500 points from victories at the Queen’s Club in London and Wimbledon. As a result, his best chance of surpassing Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings may not come until the second half of 2024.
The good news for Alcaraz is that Djokovic has owned the world No. 1 ranking for more than 400 weeks, so he is no longer driven by the struggle to hold that position.
He declared last year, “I want to be number one, but for the past few years, I see it as a consequence of good results in the biggest possible tournaments, the Grand Slams.”
Maintaining my health and physical fitness in line with my on-court and off-court activities is my top focus.
“I’m confident that I can win any competition on any surface when I’m balanced and in alignment. That is my first concern.
Although Djokovic is entered in the ATP 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami a week later, there may be some uncertainty on whether the 36-year-old will participate in the second of the two tournaments because he has hinted that he may not play back-to-back events at this point in his career.