Novak Djokovic hails Carlos Alcaraz, says even he loses, he loses with a smile

Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic has hailed Carlos Alcaraz for his maturity on the tour. Alcaraz, 21, is already a four-time Slam champion and has won Wimbledon twice, the US Open, and the Roland Garros in his impressive young career.

Meanwhile, Djokovic and Alcaraz recently met each other in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open in which the former won in four sets despite injury woes.

Djokovic recalled how he, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray dominated the sport in the last 15 years and said the next generation is also on the right track.

“We have [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Siner who are developing a new rivalry. [Rafael] Nadal, [Roger] Federer and I, as well as [Andy] Murray who I have to include here, have really dominated men’s tennis in the last 15-20 years and we have raised the standard and criteria quite high,” Novak Djokovic said in an interview with Vijesti.

“Not only in terms of results but also with all the other aspects and expectations that a champion and World No. 1 should have, how he should represent it, how he should play that ambassadorial role of the sport, the leader of the sport,” he added.

“When we talk about charisma, Alcaraz stands out as someone who has stood out, not only with his games, exceptional achievements and results for such a young age, but also as someone who is very charismatic, a fair-play player and kind to everyone. And when he loses, he loses with a smile, which is really impressive for such a young man who doesn’t have much experience, but who acts as if he has been on the tour for 10 years or more.”

Djokovic credited Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero for his achievements in his young career.

“I think the cause of all this is his proper upbringing, his environment, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero,” Djokovic said.

“A former No. 1 and Grand Slam champion who passed on to him from a young age what it means to be an athlete, not only in terms of championship performance, achieving results and perseverance, but also what are the sporting values ​​and principles that should be advocated and nurtured, passed on and serve as a guiding star for the younger generations who follow tennis and who would like to one day achieve their goals,” he added.

After failing to go all the way in the Australian Open, Alcaraz lifted his maiden indoor title at the Rotterdam Open.