Novak Djokovic will not compete again until the 2025 season, but Carlos Alcaraz does not think Djokovic's reduced schedule in recent years will negatively impact him next year.
Djokovic was the defending ATP Finals champion. He secured an unprecedented seventh title at the season-ending tournament last year by defeating Jannik Sinner in front of his home fans in Turin.
However, Djokovic withdrew from the 2024 ATP Finals, citing an injury. The Serbian might want to rest a knee problem he has managed since the French Open, but the 37-year-old may have pulled out of the season-ending tournament, regardless.
That means the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia last month was Djokovic's last appearance on the court in 2024. His time there included a final match with great rival Rafael Nadal before the Spaniard's retirement at the upcoming Davis Cup Finals.
Although he will not play again this season, Djokovic is already thinking ahead to 2025. The 24-time Grand Slam champion plans to compete in the opening week of the new season to prepare for the Australian Open.
After giving so much to the sport, Djokovic has earned the right to pick and choose his tournaments. By contrast, Alcaraz does not yet have that luxury despite already winning four Grand Slams.
The Spaniard's long and grueling season is almost over after he was eliminated from the ATP Finals at the round-robin stage. He angrily threw his racket during the defeat to Alexander Zverev, which confirmed his exit from the tournament.
Alcaraz's last appearance in 2024 will be at the Davis Cup Finals on Tuesday. The young star is determined to win the Davis Cup to honor Nadal's legacy, and they are expected to play doubles together at the event in Malaga.
Although that is the 21-year-old's immediate focus, he was asked in his press conference after losing to Zverev about Djokovic resting ahead of the Australian Open in January.
Alcaraz thinks Djokovic will be very dangerous at the Grand Slam, which he has won ten times, and doubts a lack of match practice from ending 2024 early and not playing a full schedule this season will harm him in Melbourne.
"A really dangerous player. I mean, he deserves to choose what tournaments he's going to play. We've seen before that it doesn't matter that he doesn't play an official match for two, three, four months because he's going to come again and be able to win the tournament, be able to show a really high level of tennis."
The two-time Wimbledon champion believes how hungry Djokovic still is to succeed will significantly impact his performance at the Australian Open, but he expects him to be fun to watch, regardless.
"So in Australian Open, it depends on how hungry he is. If he goes to Australia with hunger, is going to be one of the favorites to win Australia. Let's see. He's going to be fresh, for sure. A lot of time with his family, kids, wife.... Is going to be a fun player to watch, for sure."
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam Alcaraz has yet to win, and he plans to get a tattoo to mark the achievement if and when it happens.
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