Having just reached his first ATP final, Alcaraz’s fans were eager to see how he would fare in the tournament.
However, after his first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev, there were doubts about Alcaraz’s ability to dominate the tournament.
This loss further highlighted the fact that Alcaraz was still in a slump. After his sensational Wimbledon final performance, the Spaniard has not won a title since.
Alcaraz puts doubts to rest
But eventually, the Spaniard was able to put those doubts to rest when he snatched his first win at the finals against Andrey Rublev with a straight set victory of 7-5, 6-2.
He then followed this up with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the world’s third-ranked player, Daniil Medvedev.
As a result, Alcaraz was able to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament, replicating Nadal’s performance in 2006 and thus becoming the youngest semi-finalist in ATP history.
Carlos Alcaraz just became the youngest semifinalist at the ATP Finals since Rafa Nadal in 2006.
Following big footsteps. 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/pYXCAnkK4N
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 17, 2023
Both Nadal and Alcaraz followed a similar pattern throughout the tournament: they both lost their opening match but recovered swiftly to win their subsequent two games before facing the world’s top-ranked players in the semi-final.
Back then, Nadal faced former world No. 1 Roger Federer and, unfortunately, got ousted in the semi-finals.
For Alcaraz, he will be facing the strongest opponent in the tournament, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. But the question is, will he also follow in the footsteps of Nadal and lose to Djokovic?
In this regard, the fans certainly hope not.
Alcaraz on facing Djokovic: I’m excited to face Novak
In a post-match interview, Alcaraz said he was looking forward to facing Djokovic in the semi-finals of the ATP. He also expressed his admiration for the Serb’s remarkable performance throughout the year.
Alcaraz’ statement via The Tennis Letter:
“It’s one of the most difficult challenges I’mgoing toa face. Facing Novak in ATP Finals, a tournament that he’s won 6 times. Obviously, Novak is Novak. He’s the best player in the world right now. He only lost 6 matches this year. That means he’s unbelievable. I’m gonna put my best tennis. I’m gonna enjoy. The same way I’ve been doing these last few matches. I’m excited to face Novak.”
https://www.sportsry.com/tennis/alcaraz-follows-nadals-lead-makes-history-as-youngest-atp-semi-finalist/
Cover Photo: IG