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Marion Bartoli thinks it's pretty evident that Carlos Alcaraz's 2023 Grand Slam results cannot be compared to Novak Djokovic's. Djokovic, 36, made the finals in all four Grand Slams this year and Wimbledon was the only Major which he didn't win in 2023.
On the other side, Alcaraz skipped the Australian Open due to injury - lost to Djokovic in the French Open semifinal - won Wimbledon - and lost to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open semifinal. Alcaraz's lone Grand Slam win in 2023 was a pretty impressive one though as the 20-year-old Spaniard became the first player to beat Djokovic at Wimbledon since 2017.
“One has won three Grand Slam titles this season and the other has won one. One played four Grand Slam finals, the other one played one. It's that simple… I think we need to look more broadly at how everyone is handling the season.
And so far, Novak is doing a better job. That's not to say things won't change, of course. It's obvious that Novak is more at the end of his career than at the beginning. But I found the way he handled this season, his mental strength and his ability to recover from everything extraordinary.
And I don't think many people can claim to have the same mental toughness as him," Bartoli told Tennis Majors, via The Tennis Letter.
Marion Bartoli on the difference between Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz:
“One has won three Grand Slam titles this season & the other has won 1.One played 4 Grand Slam finals, the other one played 1. It's that simple… I think we need to look more broadly at how everyone is… pic.twitter.com/wMvlSPxI8g — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 30, 2023
Djokovic told Alcaraz, his competition that he is not going away
After beating Medvedev in the US Open final to become the first-ever male player with 24 Grand Slams, Djokovic warned his competition that he is not going anywhere just yet.
"I'm going to keep going. You know, I feel good in my own body. I still feel I got the support of my environment, of my team, of my family. Grand Slams, I have vocalized that in the last few years, have been always the highest goal and the priority of mine in the whole season.
I don't play as much in terms of other tournaments, so I try to prioritize my preparation so that I can peak in Slams," Djokovic said after winning the US Open.