Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are set to face off in the Australian Open quarter-finals (Image: Getty)
plans to defeat by approaching their quarter-final in exactly the same way he approached their seven previous head-to-head meetings.
Djokovic’s inactivity has seen him fall down the world rankings, and he went into this year’s first Grand Slam as the seventh seed. That left him open to drawing a big hitter in the earlier rounds of the tournament, and he now has to get past Alcaraz for a shot at his 25th major.
The pair have faced off seven times before, with Djokovic winning four times and Alcaraz boasting three victories. Not many can say they have given as good as they get against a player of Djokovic’s calibre, and Alcaraz believes that should serve him well in Tuesday’s showdown.
“Well, this is not the right player to play in a quarter-final, I guess,” said the Spaniard. “I think in a Grand Slam, from quarter-finals to the final, those players are the best in the world.
“If it wasn’t Djokovic in the quarter-final, it could be another player near the top of the rankings, the top of the world. But facing Novak, for me it’s not going to change anything if I’m playing him in the quarter-final or semi-final.
“I’d probably change a little bit if it was a final, obviously. Being in a quarter-final, I’m going to approach the match the same as I did in the previous matches against him, and let’s see. He has to win, obviously. But let’s see. Both players are amazing. If it’s Novak, I’m going to approach it in the same way I approached the previous matches.”
Carlos Alcaraz has a simple plan to try and down Novak Djokovic on Tuesday (Image: Getty)
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Alcaraz will hope for a different outcome than the one he got last time he and Djokovic went toe-to-toe on court, as the Serb emerged victorious from their gold medal match at the Paris Olympics last summer.
Prior to that, Alcaraz steamrollered Djokovic in last year’s final. The high-flying duo only ever seem to meet in huge matches – the like of which Djokovic has taken part in countless times. Alcaraz plans to tune out the accomplishments his opponent has racked up over the course of a glittering career.
He said: “24 Grand Slams, the most weeks at No. 1, everything. He almost broken every record in tennis. I’m trying not to think about that when I’m in the match. I’m just trying to beat him.
“I know my weapons. I know that I’m able to play good tennis against him, I’m able to beat him. That’s all I’m thinking when I’m facing him. I think, when facing Novak, it’s best to just play and believe in yourself.”