Novak Djokovic name-dropped as key in Alcaraz ‘taking big step’ ahead of US Open

Feliciano Lopez has stressed the importance of Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon as they prepare for another potential clash at the US Open. The world No 1 became the first player in a decade to defeat the Serb on Centre Court, lifting the trophy as a result. Although Alcaraz won last year’s US Open as a teenager and became the youngest No 1 in ATP history, Lopez explained why beating Djokovic at SW19 was a “big step” compared to all of his other achievements.

Alcaraz and Djokovic are on a collision course to meet in the finals of the third straight tournament that they have both played. The 20-year-old defeated the world No 2 to win Wimbledon last month and on Sunday, Djokovic got revenge by beating the two-time Major champion to lift the Cincinnati Open trophy.

The Spaniard is also the defending champion at a Grand Slam for the first time in his young career, as he won the US Open aged just 19 last year. And Alcaraz’s countryman Lopez has now addressed his monumental rise, claiming that his Wimbledon victory was the most important result of his career so far.

“Well, I think the fact that he won Wimbledon is a big step. It’s another big step in his career,” the former world No 9 said. “Although he’s been winning [a] Grand Slam at a very early age and winning 1000s in the last 12 months. But I think I consider that winning Wimbledon and especially beating Novak Djokovic in the finals, it’s something else and something different so far in his career.”

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Lopez was also fully expecting to see the US Open come down to a two-horse race between Alcaraz and Djokovic, with both men on the opposite halves of the draw and only able to meet in the final. He continued: “I’ve been watching him lately in Canada and Cincy as well. And he’s been playing great.

“I think he’s for sure one of the contenders again for the Open together with Novak. I think there’s, in my opinion, of course it’s still a big difference between Novak and Carlos and the rest of the players nowadays, I think. But there’s a lot of things that can happen, but so far I think he’s continuing to progress and to improve his mental strength.”

And Lopez thought that Alcaraz’s mentality would only go from strength to strength as he credited the courageousness of the 12-time title winner. “Because his skills, they’ve been always there. His physical condition is great. But I think mentally he’s continuously improving and I think he is going to give us a lot of wins, I think in the next five to six years for sure,” he added.

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Sky Sports subscribers on Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Sky Q, and the Sky Sports app will be able to watch all courts for the first time on Sky Sports.

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“So far he showed that he can handle the pressure very well. He’s very brave, I have to say. He’s only 20 years old, but he’s very brave. He showed some braveness in the finals when he had to challenge Novak Djokovic. I think, as I said before, this is another step different step in his career so far.”

Alcaraz quickly went from being a promising young prospect to one of the best players in the world, and Lopez expected the world No 1 to handle his US Open title defence well given the way he had adjusted to the pressure of being expected to win all of the time.

The 41-year-old explained: “I think he’s a little bit gifted as well in the way that it is very difficult for a kid at 20 years old to be handling that amount of pressure because it’s very difficult, it’s very different to play tennis when you are one of the rising stars coming up.

“To be playing now being No 1 in the world, it’s another story. So he showed so far that he’s able to handle that pressure which is very impressive.” But Lopez thought it was no accident that Alcaraz had adapted so quickly, having a strong ethic as well as the backing of Juan Carlos Ferrero in his corner.

“And also, he’s very well surrounded. He has a great team around him. Juan Carlos Ferrero, he was also No 1 in the world. He’s been through a lot of situations that Carlos is going through right now,” he added.

“And he’s a very humble kid as well. He has the will to learn every single day. So yeah, it’s a great combination of of talent and also work ethic and a lot of things that, all of them combined, are making him the best player in the world right now in the game.”

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