Rome Novak Djokovic said he respects Carlos Alcaraz, but Rafael Nadal will always be his strongest opponent as long as the 'King of Clay' is still playing.
"I can't name anyone other than Nadal," Djokovic told Tennis TV when asked about his most dangerous opponent at Roland Garros on May 14. "As long as Nadal is playing, he will always be my biggest rival. Regardless of the rankings or what happens, our matches prove that."
Nadal has dropped to 14th in the ATP rankings, while Djokovic remains at the top of the rankings this week. Photo: ATP
Djokovic praised the rise of Carlos Alcaraz, who has won four of his five finals this season. "I respect young players like Alcaraz and Medvedev," he said. "Alcaraz has only been playing for a few years but has won many major titles. However, young opponents have not been on the tour as long as me and Nadal. So Nadal is always ahead of them."
Djokovic and Alcaraz could meet in the Rome Masters final this week. They have also been locked in a fierce battle for the world number one spot in recent months. Nadal is yet to return after suffering an injury at the Australian Open in January. The "King of Clay" will not play in a warm-up tournament for Roland Garros for the first time if he plays in Paris later this month.
Nadal beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals last year to win his 14th Roland Garros title. He now shares the record of 22 Grand Slams with his Serbian rival. Djokovic is aiming for his second Grand Slam title this year, before heading to his signature tournament at Wimbledon next month.
"The race with Nadal and Federer has perfected me," Djokovic added. "At the beginning of my career, I often lost semi-finals and finals very bitterly. But it was a great motivation. You always improve when you are determined to compete with the greats of history."
Vy Anh
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