2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick thinks Novak Djokovic is probably still the best player in the world but acknowledged that Carlos Alcaraz definitely deserves to be where he is now. Alcaraz, 19, became the youngest No 1 in tennis history after winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open and now he is set to be the youngest-ever Year-End No 1.
Djokovic, who missed two Grand Slams and four Masters tournaments in 2022, is currently eighth-ranked in the world. Also, it should be noted that Djokovic defended his Wimbledon title but still lost 2,000 points after the ATP sanctioned Wimbledon by removing points from this year’s tournament.
Roddick: Djokovic probably still the best but Alcaraz deserves No 1
“I mean, this kid’s rise has been meteoric. He so obviously passes the eyes test for someone who is going to win Majors. To get to No 1 that quickly, that’s a different story.
And as we look forward to next year, I still think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t think Novak Djokovic is the best player in the world. But the No 1 ranking is Carlos Alcaraz. It is well deserved, he was unbelievable to watch,” Roddick said on Tennis Channel.
Meanwhile, the ATP Finals in Turin is happening without Alcaraz competing. Alcaraz, 19, started experiencing injury problems after the US Open. After battling a knee injury, Alcaraz sustained an abdominal injury at the Paris Masters.
The injury forced Alcaraz to skip the ATP Finals and to also withdraw from the upcoming Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Alcaraz clinched his ATP Finals spot a long ago but injury problems delayed his debut at the season-ending tournament.
With Alcaraz out of the ATP Finals, Djokovic is aiming to win his sixth ATP Finals title and cap off his year on a high note. If Djokovic wins the ATP Finals, he will tie Roger Federer’s record of six ATP Finals titles.
