By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, December 5, 2024
Photo: Getty for Mutua Madrid Open Facebook
The dreaded pairing of Novak Djokovic and new coach Andy Murray induces double vision in Carlos Alcaraz.
Reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz met with about eight reporters for a roundtable question-and-answer session at Essex House on Central Park South in New York City on Tuesday – a day before the showdown Ben Shelton in the Garden Cup at Madison Square Garden.
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A relaxed Alcaraz, dressed in beige Nike sweats, was in good spirits, smiled often and covered a wide range of topics during the question-and-answer session that lasted about 13 minutes.
Asked for his reaction to the pair of former superstars no. 1 Djokovic and Murray, Alcaraz joked that his level of difficulty has now doubled.
“I feel like I’m going to play against them (both of them),” Alcaraz said with a smile.
The third-ranked Spaniard, who lost to Djokovic in the Olympic gold medal match in Paris, said he sees the Olympic champions’ partnership as a win-win.
Alcaraz said Murray is the “right coach” for Djokovic and predicts the pairing of two iconic Big 4 champions will be “huge for tennis” and also generate global interest in the game.
“I think he found the right one. “Djokovic found the right coach,” said Alcaraz.
“If Andy agrees to coach (Novak), it’s because I think he feels he’s ready to do the job. And seeing them around and knowing that Andy Murray is going to be the coach, I think it’s going to be huge for tennis.
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I think it’s wonderful. I think he deserves to be his coach and I think it’s going to be a great team.”
2022 US Open champion Alcaraz is expanding his training team.
added Alcaraz Samuel Lopez, that trained Pablo Carreno Busta for years, in his coaching staff led by former world no.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz talked about what he hopes Lopez brings to his team during a roundtable interview with the media on Tuesday. More on Alcaraz’s coaching team and his relationship with former French Open champion Ferrero.
