The world’s two best men’s tennis players have not played one another in over a year but are in the same tournament at last
Over the past 10 months, the duality of the ATP tour has been exasperating. Two exceptional players have pieced together dominant runs across multiple surfaces, clearly distinguishing themselves from the rest of the field, trading the No 1 ranking back and forth. And yet, in this same period, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have avoided each other the entire way.
Since he rediscovered his killer instinct, Djokovic’s results have read like a vintage season even on the eve of his 36th birthday. Djokovic has compiled a 43-5 record in individual events since losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open quarter-finals last year. He has won Wimbledon and the Australian Open among six titles in total.