By India Today Sports Desk: Novak Djokovic praised his French Open 2023 semi-final opponent Carlos Alcaraz by drawing similarities between the rising star and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic secured his spot inside the remaining 4 by defeating Karen Khachanov, reaching his forty fifth Grand Slam semi-final and twelfth at Roland Garros. However, Djokovic has confronted difficulties in profitable the French Open due to Nadal’s dominance, who has obtained the match 14 events.
Although Nadal is absent from this 12 months’s match due to hip surgical process, Djokovic sees Alcaraz as a worthy different. He really useful Alcaraz’s demeanor on and off the courtroom, emphasising his depth and character reminiscent of a left-handed participant from Alcaraz’s nation, Spain.
“He carries himself very well. No doubt very nice guy on and off the court,” Djokovic talked about. “He brings a lot of intensity on the court. Reminds me of someone from his country that plays with a left hand!
Djokovic added that Alcaraz deserves his success and acknowledged him as a strong competitor.
“He deserves his success, no doubt. He’s working hard, and he’s a very complete player already. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. He’s definitely a guy to beat here. I’m looking forward to that,” Djokovic talked about.
Despite dropping his first set in opposition to Khachanov, Djokovic recovered and obtained the match, highlighting his psychological vitality in tie-break situations. He has been flawless in tie-breaks all by the match, not committing any unforced errors.
Djokovic attributed his success in tie-breaks to his focused and clear-minded technique, prioritising each stage and making decisive picks. His constructive monitor file in tie-breaks supplies him a psychological edge, which he objectives to utilise in future matches.
“In the tie-break, the format is such that you serve every two points. Every point matters. Really, every point can decide in which direction tie-break is going to go,” Djokovic talked about. “So I think it’s a mentality of a lockdown, ‘Okay, I’m present, I’m focused only on the next point and I have to really think clearly about what I want to do’.
“Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. I think I was lucky that throughout my career I have a very good and positive score in the tie-breaks. My opponents know that, and I know that. So I think mentally that serves me well. Coming into every next tie-break, I know I maybe have that mental edge, so I try to use it.”
