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After successfully defending his title in Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his participation at the Italian Open in Rome. Carlos Alcaraz looks set to be the World No. 1 once again when Roland-Garros gets underway at the end of this month, with the Spaniard only needing to appear at the Italian Open in order to regain the top spot from Novak Djokovic.
Five points separate Novak Djokovic from Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP rankings. The Serb will remain number one in the world during the Masters 1000 in Rome, which begins this week. However, he should be dethroned by the now two-time title holder in Madrid. The native of El Palmar needs to win only one small match at the Foro Italico to return to the throne of world tennis. Undefeated on this clay court this season, it is almost unthinkable that the 20-year-old would miss out in the first round. In Rome, however, the two players could meet for the first time in 2023. They have never been in the same draw this season.
“I really want to play there. I missed last year”, the current World No. 2 said of the ATP’s third clay-court Masters event in the Italian capital. “I don’t know the feelings over there, but for sure I’m gonna enjoy that tournament. Of course it’s great to play in front of the Italian crowd again.”
Having just taken the fourth ATP Masters event of his career (Miami 2022, Madrid 2022, Indian Wells 2023, Madrid 2023), as part of a stunning back-to-back double triumph in Barcelona and Madrid – a feat he has now achieved two years in a row – Alcaraz has put himself firmly in the rear-view mirror of Novak Djokovic in the rankings race.
The newly-turned 20-year-old was still basking in the afterglow of his second Madrid Open title on Sunday when he confirmed in his post-match conference that he fully intends to compete in Rome, which me missed last year in order to re-energize himself for the French Open following an intense series of title wins.
