Carlos Alcaraz savours Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open return after making injury comeback – ‘Lucky guy’

Carlos Alcaraz is looking forward to the return of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open after the Serbian missed 2022’s season-opening Grand Slam due to coronavirus restrictions.

The Australian government appears ready to welcome Djokovic back to the fold Down Under, and Alcaraz is content to have more competition despite Djokovic’s experience and quality.

Djokovic also missed the US Open in the second half of last season, and the 19-year-old Spaniard was able to claim his first major in his rival’s absence, giving him enough points to become the No. 1 for the first time in his young career.

“Tennis is better having the best players in the world, and for the fans as well it’s good to see a tournament with the best players,” Alcaraz said in Abu Dhabi, where is competing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition tournament, losing to Casper Ruud in the third-place play-off on Sunday, 6-1 6-4.

“Talking for me, I want to see Novak play in every tournament. I always said that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best player in the world.

“I’m a lucky guy to have Djokovic on the tour.”

Alcaraz has also explained that he is “almost 100 percent” fit after his abdominal problem that led to his retirement in the Paris Masters earlier in the year, which saw him miss out on the Davis Cup and individual season finale, the ATP Finals.

“I feel good finally,” he said. “I had a month to recover well the ab and right now I feel almost 100 percent. I have been training normally this past week and I’m feeling great.

“Of course having a target on my back from everyone is going to be a little bit different for me this year and I have to be prepared for that.

“I’m going to try to finish 2023 at the same position as right now. It’s going to be a long year but of course I’m going to enjoy.”

Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the semi-final of this year’s Madrid Masters, and also beat Rafael Nadal before then as he became the event’s youngest winner.

World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas is also happy to see Djokovic back in full swing, saying: “The competition is going to be higher. Mr. Djokovic will be starting the season straight from the Australian Open, so there are not going to be any shortcuts anymore.”