Roger Federer's ex-coach Paul Annacone has labeled Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic "a little bit better" than the rest of the tour.
Djokovic and his young Spanish rival have been comfortably the world's top two for the entire season and have played ping pong with the World No. 1 ranking no fewer than seven times in 2023.
And ahead of the final tournament of the season - the ATP Finals - Djokovic is destined to finish another record-setting season as the year-end No. 1 for a record-extending eighth time. He only needs to win one round-robin match.
The Serbian machine has won three of the four Grand Slams this season in addition to a couple of Masters 1000 titles. His success in Paris-Bercy was the 40th Masters title of his legendary career - making him the first man to get to this number.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, won Wimbledon, defeating Djokovic in a thrilling final. He has amassed at least five more ATP titles this season including Indian Wells and the Madrid Open. It's been another year where Alcaraz's stock rose sharply thanks to his strong results on the court.
Annacone, who has coached some legendary names in the sport, is adamant that Alcaraz and Djokovic are not cut from the same cloth as the rest of the tour. He also tipped Daniil Medvedev as the best of the remaining pack.
Speaking on the Inside-In podcast, the 60-year-old further noted an opening for the players ranked between 4th and 15th to rise above each other. From a spectacle standpoint, it is exciting, he says.
"I actually look at it a little differently, I look at it as a premier two. I think (Carlos) Alcaraz and Novak (Djokovic) are a little bit better than everybody, and then I would probably give (Daniil) Medvedev the next tip of the cap."
"And then from four to kind of 12, I think you can make an argument that there is a lot of interchangeable parts and you could probably go to 15 as well. So, if I'm one of those guys between three or four and 15, I am thinking, 'There's a great opportunity for me out there'. I think as a fan it's exciting, I love watching it."
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