Novak Djokovic has a chance for revenge when he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final.
The tennis player who has won 23 Grand Slam titles sealed a place in the final of the Cincinnati Open by defeating German national Alexander Zverev in straight sets which took place tightly. He won 80 percent of the points on his first serve and shot 18 winners. The only setback was when he was broken to close out the match at 5-4 in the second set.
The Cincinnati Open is the 36-year-old’s first tournament since failing to win the Wimbledon title last month. At the beginning of the tournament, he managed to win over Taylor Fritz and Gael Monfils without dropping a set.
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The tennis player who has won the Cincinnati Open twice (2018, 2020), will now challenge world number 1 Alcaraz where he has the opportunity to take revenge. He lost to the Spaniard in a thrilling five sets in the Wimbledon final this season, so he has yet to equal Roger Federer’s record as the male tennis player who has won the most Grand Slam titles.
Currently, the Serbian national is trailing 1-2 in head to head against Alcaraz who won their meeting in Madrid in 2022. But he won their meeting en route to winning the French Open title this season.
“I think that’s the main challenge for me at the moment,” Djokovic commented on the rivalry against Alcaraz.
“This meeting will be our first meeting in a hard-court tournament. It will be a very good test before the US Open. To be sure, conditions are different. Here, the best of three sets, at the US Open, the best of five sets. Against the best tennis player in the world who is currently in the best condition.”
“It’s the biggest challenge I can get, so I’m looking forward to it. The best way to prepare for the Grand Slam at the New Yorks.”
Since 1990, Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz have become two of four male tennis players to have won 45 or more Masters 1000 tournament wins before turning 21. Other tennis players who made this achievement were Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick.
