Carlos Alcaraz has already ignited the fire ahead of the popcorn semifinal match against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals.
The Spaniard labeled the Serb as the "best player in the world right now" clearly conscious that he is the benchmark at the season-ending showpiece. Unlike in Cincinnati when they last played, Saturday's match in Turin will decide who makes it to the final of this week's event.
Djokovic, a six-time champion of the ATP Finals, progressed into the semifinal after beating Hubert Hurkacz in his final group match. The 36-year-old also needed a Jannik Sinner victory over Holger Rune to avoid early elimination.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, snapped a three-match losing streak by beating the Russian pair of Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev to top the group and secure his semifinal place at the ATP Finals on his debut. The 20-year-old has never played Djokovic in indoor conditions before but is looking forward to a thrilling battle.
"Well, it's one of the most difficult challenges I'm going to face. Facing Novak in the Nitto ATP Finals, a tournament he has won six times, obviously Novak is Novak. He is the best player in the world right now. He just lost six matches this year. That means he is unbelievable. I'm gonna play my best tennis and I'm gonna enjoy it the same way I have been doing these past matches. I'm excited to face Novak."
Alcaraz and Djokovic have squared off four times in the head-to-head on tour. They've split wins with two apiece. Alcaraz won in Madrid last year and notably at Wimbledon, the scene of his second Grand Slam title.
Djokovic, for his part, defeated Alcaraz in the Roland Garros semifinals this year and that epic Cincinnati final, which lasted three hours and 49 minutes - the longest best-of-three set final in ATP history.
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