“He’s nearly unbeaten right here – 10 titles right here. I feel everyone loves him.
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“Rod Laver, this courtroom, is nearly his home.”
Alcaraz, who missed final yr’s Australian Open with a hamstring harm solely months after he received his breakthrough slam on the US Open in New York, wasn’t taking a single-minded method to a hypothetical conflict in opposition to Djokovic. Such a contest might additionally decide the world No.1 rating.
“It’s going to be a extremely powerful one [to get that far] however I’ll work to achieve the ultimate,” Alcaraz mentioned.
“Hopefully he does it as properly … and [I] meet him within the remaining. However it’s a extremely lengthy match.”
Alcaraz opted for an extended low season after a gruelling 2023 that started with the leg woes that stopped him coming to Australia. He final performed in November on the ATP Finals in Turin, dropping to Djokovic within the semis, and didn’t join any lead-up occasions to launch the Australian summer time.
“We finish the season so, so late. I desire to have a vacation, have my days to get better my physique, my thoughts as properly,” he mentioned.
“I desire to do a extremely good pre-season. I feel we mentioned with my crew, as properly, that we want nearly 4, 5 weeks of pre-season to organize properly … for the primary grand slam of the yr.
“I feel I’m a man who doesn’t want a lot competitors earlier than a giant match … I feel I’m ready to do good issues right here.”
He elaborated on the high-quality balancing act he should undertake along with his physique.
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“I used to be struggling throughout the entire yr a bit of bit,” mentioned Alcaraz, who started his yr in South America in February after lacking the Open, performed 17 tournaments and had a 65-12 win-loss file.
“Clearly with the [hamstring] harm originally of the yr, we now have to handle it,” he mentioned.
“Yeah, the yr is so lengthy … it’s a must to watch out with it. However seeing the entire yr [overall] I used to be good bodily.”
Alcaraz has travelled to Australia with out trusted coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, an instrumental determine in his emergence from promising teenager to a star of the current.
Ferrero, additionally a former world No.1 who has been within the Alcaraz camp since 2019, is recovering from arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left knee.
“It’s powerful not being with him [Ferrero],” mentioned Alcaraz, who will probably be guided by veteran coach Samuel Lopez.
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“Clearly, he travels nearly [to] 100 per cent of the tournaments. Most likely he missed only one or two final yr. It’s going to be troublesome to method a giant match with out him.
“I’ve Sam with me that may be a nice coach as properly. He was coach of Juan Carlos when he was enjoying. I belief him. I consider in him …
“I imply, I feel I can be taught rather a lot from him, as properly.”
Throughout Alcaraz’s earlier go to to Australia in 2022, he was merely an 18-year-old star on the rise. That Australian Open, notorious for Djokovic’s deportation on match eve, noticed Alcaraz eradicated within the third spherical after a five-set belter in opposition to Matteo Berrettini.
Alcaraz agreed he was a sharply completely different now, as participant and particular person.
“I really feel like proper now I’ve to cope with a lot stress, that’s apparent, however on the similar time, I strive not to consider it,” he mentioned.
“I simply keep targeted on myself, on doing the issues that I’ve to do daily on the issues that I’ve to enhance, you realize, and it’s nonetheless being the identical particular person. That’s for me crucial factor – being the identical man that was earlier than.”
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