Paris (dpa)
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic meets Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in one of the four major “Grand Slam” tournaments, when they meet tomorrow, Friday, in the French capital, Paris, but Djokovic expects a familiar feeling.
And the British news agency “BA Media” reported that Alcaraz was a baby in the last edition of the French Open “Roland Garros” without the participation of his compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Spain now has a new champion to challenge Djokovic, a new contender at the top of tennis. “He works well,” said the 36-year-old Serbian star. “There is no doubt that he is a nice person on and off the field. He brings a lot of intensity when he plays, and reminds me of someone from his country who plays left-handed.”
He added, “He deserves his success without a doubt, he works hard, he is a complete player and he is only 20 years old.”
He continued, “It is a match that many people would like to see, and it is definitely the biggest challenge for me so far in the tournament. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. He certainly deserves to win here, and I am looking forward to that as well.”
Alcaraz spoke about his excitement to play against Djokovic, saying: “Since the draw was made, everyone expected this match. The semi-finals against Novak, and so did I. I really want to play that match.”
He added, “Since last year I really wanted to play against Novak, we both played at a high level, I will enjoy it.”
Alcaraz continued, “Of course for me it’s amazing to make history and play the semi-finals against a legend like Novak, so it will be a great match for me.”
In the other semi-final match, Norway’s Casper Ruud faces German rival Alexander Zverev, who in turn regained his fitness 12 months after suffering a serious ankle injury against Nadal in the semi-finals.
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