Carlos Alcaraz was expected to take a step forward in 2023, and while he did, Novak Djokovic still put together a more impressive season, according to former player Marion Bartoli.
Bartoli has been a very strong supporter of Djokovic for many years, rightfully propping up his greatness. She's as big of a fan as ever in 2023, especially after the Serbian put together another very impressive season.
Winning three of the four Grand Slams is almost ideal for Djokovic, especially as many expected Carlos Alcaraz to make a huge step forward this year. Beating Djokovic at Wimbledon certainly is a huge step forward, but he kind of disappointed at the other Grand Slams.
In a recent interview with Tennis Majors, Bartoli laid out why Djokovic's season is far more impressive than Alcaraz's, even if he took a minor step forward this year.
One has won three Grand Slam titles this season & the other has won 1. One played 4 Grand Slam finals, the other one played 1. It's that simple… I think we need to look more broadly at how everyone is handling the season. And so far, Novak is doing a better job.
The metrics are indeed rather simple. On top of winning all of that, Djokovic bested Alcaraz twice in the three matches they played and is number one ahead of the Spaniard. Things can change in the coming weeks and according to Medvedev likely will but for Bartoli Djokovic still 'won' this year.
That's not to say things won't change, of course. It's obvious that Novak is more at the end of his career than at the beginning. But I found the way he handled this season, his mental strength and his ability to recover from everything extraordinary. And I don't think many people can claim to have the same mental toughness as him.
0 Comments