Carlos Alcaraz once more or Novak Djokovic, a question that will be answered later today in the Cincinnati Masters final.
No Djokovic fan anticipated the 2023 Wimbledon final to go the way it did. Hearing game, set, and match Alcaraz was painful for many but not any more than it was for Novak Djokovic. Due to that, many predicted him to come back with a lot of fire, and they were right.
He's been burning hot at the ATP 1000 event in Cincinnati, so much so that last night's win over Alexander Zverev saw Djokovic serve it out with fireworks in the background. Djokovic has experience with that, and he was pretty amused by it, joking that New Year's came early in Cincinnati.
He's also been producing fireworks on the court at an incredible level so far this week. Zverev gave it his best effort and looked good at times, but he was still no match for Djokovic. Very few have been lately, but Carlos Alcaraz will try his best.
He's got some experience with beating Djokovic and likely is one of the few players capable of beating him at the US Open. He previously won the event and will need a deep run this year to preserve his number one rank.
The importance of this match goes beyond the trophy. It's an early preview for a potential US Open showdown, the winner will likely get a confidence boost, and Alcaraz besting Djokovic once more would only increase the pressure for the Serbian.
Head-to-head:
We've seen this match play out three times already and we'll see it a couple of more times this year. Their Davis Cup match is set and as Djokovic explained after his win over Zverev, their matches are good for tennis. It's good to see the best playing against each other.
So far, we've seen Alcaraz handle it a bit better. He won their first match in Madrid last year and added a second one at Wimbledon. The Roland Garros one was won by Djokovic, but that's a very specific match that was tied at 1-1 in sets while Alcaraz was healthy enough to compete.
Prediction:
As brilliant and close as their clashes are, this one looks more straightforward than those before. It's mostly because Alcaraz hasn't played at his best level, something he admitted himself. Contrary to that, Djokovic has been all business in Cincinnati, showing some of his best tennis played this year.
If you took only that, then it's pretty clear why Djokovic is the favourite. Alcaraz barely survived against Hurkacz by finding his best out of nowhere and in the most crucial moment. That's the danger for Djokovic, but expect him to handle any punch miles better than Hurkacz.
The Serbian will be serious in his approach from start to finish because he was waiting for this chance. A chance to remind everybody who is still the best player, and with how he's been performing this week, I'll side with him.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in two sets.
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