(Paris) Carlos Alcaraz has established himself as the first player since Nadal and Federer to fiercely compete for the place of world No.1 for Novak Djokovic. But, as again in Miami where the Serb is absent, the duel has mainly been played at a distance until then before the direct confrontations hoped for this season.
“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” insisted Alcaraz after winning the Indian Wells Masters 1000 on Sunday, a victory that allowed him to climb back to the top of the world hierarchy… from which he will come down in favor of Djokovic if he does not retain his title in Miami within ten days.
In California as in Florida, the Spanish prodigy, who will celebrate his 20th birthday in May, is taking advantage of the absence of the Serb who will be 36 in May and who is still banned from American territory for his refusal of the anti-covid vaccine.
Carlitos and Djoko have only faced each other once… for a victory for the former in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 in Madrid almost a year ago.
Since then, they have not only crossed paths, but between the injuries of Alcaraz and the entry bans for Djokovic, have found themselves only twice in the same tournament since Wimbledon, where they could have faced each other. in the quarters if Jannik Sinner had not eliminated Alcaraz in the eighth.
During these months, the Murcian has established himself as the best in the rest of the world, going so far as to rise to the top of the ATP hierarchy by winning the US Open in September, his first Grand Slam title.
Then Djokovic took advantage of his absence to regain control of the circuit by chaining the titles including a 22nd Major, in Australia in January, to return to the throne in turn.
Again Djoko could only see from afar the return to the fore of Alcaraz this spring in the United States.
Away from his main opponents who were playing in the Middle East, the Spaniard prepared his return in a certain anonymity in South America, before returning to the elite at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.
The whole world was wondering where he was. Six players paid to see, swept away by the young terror.
“I think my tennis hasn’t improved that much since last year. Where I have made progress is in my ability to handle pressure, to play in a relaxed way. I have a very good level because I feel like I don’t feel pressure, I’m having fun,” Alcaraz said after winning Indian Wells and just before going to defend his title in Miami.
If his stay in California reassured him, he had to proportionally sow doubt and concern among his opponents.
Among them Daniil Medvedev, whose Alcaraz curtly stopped the series of 19 victories in 70 minutes in the final. And Félix Auger-Aliassime, who admitted his total helplessness in the quarters when he had beaten him at the end of October in the semis in Basel.
“I would have had to be exceptional to win […] He played in the world No.1. I have never played someone who played so aggressively, so quickly and so successfully. There was no respite. I always felt in the red, in the head and the physique ”, recognized the Canadian who clearly sees in Alcaraz the heir to the Big 3.
“He has already raised the standard of all the other players, the general level,” he pointed out.
Exactly what Nadal and Djokovic brought in their time who, while Alcaraz imposes its law in the United States, refine their preparation for the clay court season.
They should finally all meet again, in Monte-Carlo (April 9-16).
And no matter what, this game for the throne between Djokovic and Alcaraz will continue for weeks as both have to defend an equal number of points during the clay season: they lost in the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros the last year and each won a Masters 1000 (Madrid for Alcaraz, Rome for Djokovic).
So, more than ever, direct confrontations are expected, and more than ever, Grand Slam tournaments present themselves as arbiters in the race for supremacy.
At this little game, and even if he is heading more and more surely towards retirement, Nadal will do everything to try to conquer Roland-Garros for the fifteenth time in May. And take back alone the record of major titles (23).
