Carlos Alcaraz's rivalry with Novak Djokovic is writing new chapters with every season, and the Spaniard recently shed light on their relationship away from the tennis courts.
Rivalries in sports are interesting for fans for multiple reasons. Some start very heated but then grow to become very respectable, with lots of admiration from both sides.
Some start like that but then grow resentful, and it just comes down to how the athletes involved react to it. Djokovic generally portrays himself as a respectable player who admits defeat when it happens.
He has been very complimentary towards Alcaraz in the past, calling him the future of tennis, even when he was beaten by the youngster. The Spaniard reciprocated in similar ways, showing great admiration for the Serbian legend.
He watches his matches and his practices and tries to learn from the 24-time major winner, so clearly, this is a healthy rivalry on the surface. We don't know how they truly feel inside, and after Djokovic bested Alcaraz in the Olympic final, the Spaniard might have some resentful feelings towards him.
It would be understandable on a human level, as the loss was tough on him. He hasn't shown it, but some tried to find out when they asked him about Djokovic after his first-round match at the 2024 US Open.
Alcaraz provided some insight, even though it was not the controversial take some probably hoped to hear. Their relationship is actually great away from the tennis courts, and fans even got to witness that during some of the practice sessions when they met.
"Well, obviously we have a good rivalry. Every time that we step on the court, we played really high tennis. Every time that we faced against each other, it has been a really good and intense match. But, yeah, we have a really good friendship off the court."
Alcaraz also shared the key to having a good rivalry. They're extremely competitive as individuals, and that shows in their play on the courts. However, the moment a match is over, they leave all of that in the past and simply return to being friendly with each other.
"We talk a lot in the lockers every time that we see each other around. With his team as well. Once we step on the court, there are no friends here on tour, but after that, after the court, I have a really good relationship with a lot of players, and one of them is Novak."
It's a unique experience, but athletes realize it fairly early in their careers. They need to adopt that mindset; otherwise, they could be in danger of being consumed by their losses.
That's what happened to Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Open. Many assume that he was still processing the Olympics when he was stunned by Gael Monfils early on in the draw. It's very possible, even though he would likely deny that. Now he's focusing on the US Open, and he made a good start with a solid win over Li Tu.
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