Carlos Alcaraz unlocked another superb record at the 2024 Australian Open, but he wasn't particularly impressed by it as he wants to chase Novak Djokovic's record.
Alcaraz created some headlines last year when he kind of admitted that he's obsessing over Novak Djokovic, wanting to challenge him and break his records. Quite a few people had some interesting thoughts on that, as it might seem counterproductive, but the Spaniard has clear goals.
He said out loud that he wants to be the greatest of all time, which is quite bold, but that's the point. He wouldn't have said it if he really didn't believe it, and it's the same reason why he admitted to being very dialed in on Novak Djokovic.
It's the same reason why he dismissed the latest milestone of becoming the youngest player since Bjorn Borg to reach seven consecutive fourth rounds at Grand Slam in favour of some other goals.
Those goals are the records Djokovic has, like the amount of weeks spent as number one as well as the number of Grand Slams won. Speaking to the press after his third-round win in Melbourne, the 20-year-old admitted he doesn't give major importance to records he's currently breaking.
"I try not to give it importance because the records I want to break are the ones that Novak (Djokovic) is breaking. These are the goals I have set for my career. Taking them away from legends like Borg is always a good thing, but if you put too much value on them, it can work against you."
That's quite a statement, but we won't have to wait long for him to try and back it up. We might see him take on Djokovic at this year's Australian Open, and ultimately, we'll see who wins the trophy.
Allowing the Serbian to win another one will make it harder for him to catch one of his records. The better outcome for Alcaraz would be to simply win his third Grand Slam. He'll surely try, but so will his much more experienced opponent.
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