Novak Djokovic: Carlos Alcaraz is ‘the best’ mix of tennis’ Big Three of me, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic described Carlos Alcaraz as ‘basically the best’ mix of himself, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz came from a set down to win a five-set epic against Djokovic despite his inexperience on grass.

The victory is the 20-year-old Spaniard’s second Grand Slam after last year’s US Open, and while he praised his 36-year-old opponent’s longevity, there are questions over how long the Serbian can maintain his current performance levels.

Asked if he saw the pair developing a rivalry, he joked: “I would hope so, for my sake (smiling).

“He’s going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don’t know how long I’ll be around.

“Let’s see. It’s been only three matches that we played against each other. Three really close matches. Two already this year in later stages of Grand Slams.

“I hope we get to play in the US Open. Why not? I think it’s good for the sport, one and two in the world facing each other in almost a five-hours, five-set thriller. Couldn’t be better for our sport in general, so why not.”

Turning to his opponent, he admitted his surprise over his improvement, saying: “I didn’t expect him to play so well this year on grass, but he’s proven that he’s the best player in the world, no doubt.

“He’s playing some fantastic tennis on different surfaces and he deserves to be where he is.”

Asked to pick Alcaraz’s greatest strength, Djokovic struggled to choose just one, and claimed that he is an amalgamation of modern tennis’ Big Three.

He explained: “I think people have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself. I would agree with that. I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds.

“He’s got this mental resilience and really maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It’s quite impressive. He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years.

“And I think he’s got some nice sliding backhands that he’s got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too.

“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obvious strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces.”