One of the big storylines of the 2023 season has been the battle for No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. When mentioned to the Spaniard at his press conference Sunday ahead of the Western & Southern Open, the World No. 1 cracked a smile.
“I like those battles. I like to know that I can lose, and I can recover it at the same time. Of course, you have to enjoy when the battle is against one of the legends from our sport, against Novak,” Alcaraz said. “I feel that I’m [the] main opponent for him. For me, it’s something crazy, and I’m trying to enjoy [it].”
World No. 1 is at stake again this week in Cincinnati, where both men are pursuing the trophy at the season’s seventh ATP Masters 1000 event. Alcaraz can guarantee he will retain top spot by advancing to the championship match in Ohio.
Although the 20-year-old is focussed on the task at hand, which is doing as well as possible in this tournament, he is also conscious of the World No. 1 battle.
“You have to put goals to yourself during the season, in every tournament,” Alcaraz said. “And for me right now the main goal is to stay in the top spot and if I lose it, try to recover it as fast as I can. It’s something that helped me a lot to show my best level in the big tournaments.”
In his first tournament since triumphing at Wimbledon, Alcaraz lost in the Toronto quarter-finals to Tommy Paul. The Spaniard is eager this week to try to put his performance in Canada behind him.
“It wasn’t a good week for me, but [I have] a lot of things to improve coming into this tournament. Looking back to last year, [I lost in the] first round [in Montreal] and then [the] quarter-finals [in Cincinnati], and then I won the US Open,” Alcaraz said. “I have to overcome that week that I had in Toronto, try to play better here and try to do better the things that I did bad in Toronto.”
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Alcaraz is set to compete in Cincinnati for the third time. Two years ago, he needed to qualify for the Masters 1000 event. Last year, he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing a three-hour, four-minute clash to Cameron Norrie. Will this be the year he lifts the trophy?
The four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is feeling comfortable in the city and at the venue, and the fans are embracing him, too.
“A lot of things changed since last year. I think the tournament grew up a lot, and this is my first day here,” Alcaraz said. “My first practice I had this morning, so I enjoyed this practice. All the fans were there enjoying the practice as well. So far I’m enjoying my time here in Cincinnati.”