Carlos Alcaraz made his debut at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome and he's confident of doing well at the event.
In the second round of the ATP 1000 competition in the Italian capital, the 20-year-old defeated fellow compatriot Albert Ramos Vinolas to secure the world no. 1 spot. He'll need to wait to get to know his third-round opponent, but Alcaraz is already looking forward to the final.
Thanks to being seeded second and his currently biggest rival on the ATP Tour, Novak Djokovic, being seeded first, the two are projected to meet in the final of the tournament, as the Serb also kicked off his journey with a win.
Alcaraz has been really vocal about the fact that he wants to challenge the best. Not just because he likes difficult matches, but also because he believes that to be the best, you have to beat the best. Speaking to the Tennis Channel, the young Spaniard said:
"Yes, of course [I am looking forward to playing Novak Djokovic]. It’s always a big challenge to play against Novak but as you said it's a long run before the final and I hope to play the final here in my first appearance in Rome would be could be great. Of course, as you say, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."
The youngster really wants to challenge the 22-time Grand Slam champion, especially at the event which is so iconic. Moreover, Djokovic won the Italian Open multiple times, and that's something that motivates Alcaraz too.
"Playing against Novak here is, such an iconic tournament for him as well. He won a lot of times here, made a lot of finals as well. I know he feels really really comfortable here and he has a lot of chances to make the finals. In my case, I want to work and play my best tennis to make that possible."
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