‘Rafa Wouldn’t Be Rafa Without Federer And..’- British WTA Star Reveals How Carlos Alcaraz Will Lead the Charge for Tennis in Creating New Rivalries

Just when everyone thought that tennis’ nail-biting rivalries would cease after the reign of the ‘Big Three’ ended, Carlos Alcaraz proved them wrong. The Spanish sensation, who is in red-hot form at the moment, has stood up to everyone’s expectations and is proving himself impossible to deal with in a jiffy. Another tennis star has now joined the bandwagon, hailing his formidable run.

With the retirement of Roger Federer and the same looming over Rafael Nadal, many thought that tennis would not remain the same. However, the game has seen a new rivalry in the form of Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz. The two players have defined the dynamics of the game with mouth-watering encounters. Speaking on the same, former number 1 player Laura Robson declared that Carlos is exactly what Djokovic needed to keep the fire going.

Laura Robson shines new light on the Alcaraz vs Djokovic rivalry

Former British number 1, Laura Robson, predicted an invigorating new era in tennis ignited by the emerging rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Drawing parallels to the iconic Federer-Nadal-Djokovic trio, Robson believes Alcaraz’s challenge could elevate Djokovic’s performance, a dynamic reminiscent of the legendary rivalries that shaped tennis history.

“You think of the rivalries we have been so lucky to have; Rafa wouldn’t be Rafa without Federer and Djokovic. So for Alcaraz to be pushing Djokovic is great and it feels like he is going to be able to find a couple of extra gears if needed,” said Robson. She envisions Alcaraz as the catalyst for Djokovic to tap into his reservoir of talents when confronted with formidable competition.

The ripple effect is not exclusive to the two players alone, Robson highlights. The Alcaraz-Djokovic rivalry is expected to propel younger talents like Rune and Sinner to rise to the occasion, intensifying the competition across the board. The WTA star added further, “Then you drive everyone else along with you. The younger guys like Rune and Sinner, it will force them to up their games as well,” added Robson, emphasizing their potential to elevate the entire sport.

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All said and done, Alcaraz has big shoes to fill as he stands up to a daunting legacy. Even then, at the moment, he is already way ahead of a certain record held by Nadal and Federer against Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz is better than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in one thing

Presently, the only thing that Alcaraz has bettered over the other two members of the ‘Big Three’ is the head-to-head stats against the formidable Djokovic. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer played each other a total of 50 times throughout their career. However, Novak had a 27-23 head-to-head advantage between them. Against 59 matches with Rafael Nadal, Djokovic also leads the chart with 30 wins to Rafael’s 29.

However, Carlos, at age 20, has already exceeded his head-to-head record against the Serb after winning 2 matches to Novak’s 1. Thus, at a young age, the young Spaniard is the exact thing that Novak needed after the ‘Big 3’ broke up following Roger’s retirement. With a few more years on the cards for Novak, the rivalry between them will be a pure joy to watch. Laura Robson’s words shed light on the modern-day rivalry and how it is helping maintain the craze for the game.

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