Confident Alcaraz wants to face defending champion Novak Djokovic in final

Listen to Story Carlos Alcaraz wants to challenge defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2024 and then take the title away from the World No.1. Alcaraz's confidence is palpable as he aims to add an Australian Open title to his growing list of achievements, which includes a Grand Slam victory at the US Open in 2022 and a win over Djokovic at Wimbledon the same year.

Alcaraz expressed his excitement about the opportunity to clinch his first Australian Open title by defeating Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena. The 20 year old highlighted Djokovic's impressive record of 10 wins from 10 Melbourne Park finals, making the prospect even more enticing. "It's an extra motivation for me.

I'm an ambitious guy. I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what is my level. Obviously it's a good test, playing against him in the tournament where he's almost unbeaten. I'm looking to reach the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great obviously.

But, yeah, knowing those stats, it's an extra motivation, for sure," Alcaraz told reporters on Saturday. The young star's preparation for the tournament has been unconventional; he chose not to participate in any warm up events and arrived in Australia without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Instead, Alcaraz has focused on conditioning and practice, even showcasing his powerful strokes during a charity match at Melbourne Park. His last official match before the Australian Open was at the ATP Finals in November, where he faced Djokovic in the semi finals. Alcaraz's approach to the tournament has been described as "a little bit unusual" by former tennis professional Alex Corretja, who nonetheless supports the decision, suggesting that it demonstrates a great deal of self confidence.

With Rafael Nadal out of the competition due to a minor hip muscle tear, Alcaraz is set to carry the hopes of Spain on his shoulders, a responsibility he seems to relish. "I think I'm a guy who doesn't need so much competition before a big tournament," he added. "Obviously (it) always helps (but) I think I'm prepared to do a good things here in the Grand Slam." The stage is set for an electrifying tournament, with Alcaraz and Djokovic positioned as the first and second seeds, respectively.

Should both players navigate their way through the draw without being upset in earlier rounds, they would meet in the final on January 28th, setting up a potential clash of generations that could captivate tennis fans worldwide..