Djokovic Admits Alcaraz Reminds Him Of His Battles With Prime Nadal

Monday, 21 August 2023 at 22:05

bySebastian Dahlman

Novak Djokovic had an epic battle with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday at the Cincinnati Masters, reminding him of his matches against Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic and Nadal have battled many times in their careers on the ATP Tour, and while fans hope we see a couple more, it's not a certainty. While Nadal nurses himself back to health, Djokovic is busy battling another Spaniard, and the most recent clash was a win for Djokovic.

It took a pretty big effort from Djokovic to get it done, and it almost didn't happen, as Alcaraz was very close to winning in the second set. Still, it proved a great reminder that Djokovic is not to be written off yet. When it comes to battling Alcaraz for hours, he's not surprised about it.

It doesn't surprise me any more. It was surprising me maybe, I don't know, end of last year or beginning of this year, what he was doing, the way he won big matches, big tournaments. So impressive. I mean, coming out in important moments, going for it, brave.

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Comparisons between Nadal and Alcaraz have been made many times, and while they don't necessarily play similarly, they both play with a lot of fire. The matches do remind Djokovic of his battles with prime Nadal many years ago.

Yeah, I mean, each point... The feeling that I have on the court reminds me a little bit when I was facing Nadal when we were at our prime of our careers. Each point is a hustle. Each point is a battle. You feel like you're not going to get maybe in total five free points in the entire match.

Fans are excited about seeing more of these matchups in the future, and one could be coming at the US Open. We're only a week away, so buckle up.