And in Shanghai, the two-time Major winner told Tennis TV: “I’m not going to lie. I practice with a goal, I go to the tournaments with a goal. It’s trying to end the year as No 1 so Novak Djokovic is around my mind almost in every practice.”
Alcaraz is well aware that his chances to return to the top of the rankings have slimmed after his losses in China but the 20-year-old is still hoping he can make it happen in his last three tournaments of the season. Speaking after his defeat in Shanghai, he said: “ It’s going to be tougher, if I want to be No 1. I have a few tournaments ahead, so I’ll try to do my best.
“I’ll try to, you know, win them, if I want to have a chance to end the year as No 1. I don’t know, but right now I lose a lot of opportunities to make it.” The world No 2 will next compete at the Swiss Indoors Basel before heading to the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. He is defending just 360 points between now and the end of the year while Djokovic has 2,100 to try and retain.
