By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, November 30, 2022
All indicators level to Novak Djokovic being a big pressure on the ATP Tour in 2023. The 35-year-old completed 2022 on a scorching streak, profitable 18 of his closing 19 matches and claiming his sixth ATP Finals title.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach of Carlos Alcaraz, says that’s simply tremendous with him.
“We need him,” stated Ferrero of the 21-time main champion, in an interview with Eurosport.
Ferrero, a former World No.1, nonetheless believes that squaring off towards Djokovic is essential to his improvement as a participant – even when the 19-year-old Spaniard takes a number of lumps.
“I think for Carlos to improve his tennis he needs to play against one of the best in the history,” Ferrero stated. “Of course Rafa [Nadal] is there to play against him – and Novak, we need him.”
Alcaraz defeated Djokovic within the Madrid semifinals this spring. It was the pair’s solely assembly and it went in favor of the Spaniard. Djokovic, who missed a number of months because of not being allowed to play on the Australian Open, Indian Wells or Miami, was hardly in mid-season type on the time, nonetheless.
Nevertheless, Ferrero favored how his cost rose to the problem, accepting the stress of the second to win in a third-set tiebreak.
“In Madrid Carlos played against Novak and he increased his level to try to win the match, so that’s what we need, to play in the Slams against him, I think it’s very important for Carlos to improve,” he stated.
No ducking the hardest check in tennis for Alcaraz, the World No.1 and his coach are pleased that Djokovic, the nine-time champion, can be current and accounted for in Melbourne.
“Carlos and I were talking about [the fact] that we’re happy to see Novak there because if you want to win the Australian Open you have to win against the best, and of course it’s good news,” he stated.