Carlos Alcaraz tosses the ball into the air on the opening serve of the match, strikes it cleanly, and instantly rises back to the pinnacle of world tennis. It seems effortless when the Murcian simply needed one game at the Masters 1000 in Rome to thrust himself back to number one. Novak Djokovic and he accomplished this feat this Saturday against rival Albert Ramos, marking Alcaraz’s first professional victory of the season when he was just sixteen.
The defending champion stalls the Serb’s momentum at Foro Italico, a venue with limited seating and a unique energy. After skipping the 2022 edition, Alcaraz again earned the necessary points to be recognized as the era’s top player. This momentum places him as a leading seed and favorite at Roland Garros, at least on paper.
In recent months, Alcaraz and Djokovic have traded the top spot. Since the Spanish teenager became the youngest world number one by clinching the US Open last year, the two have rotated through that privileged position. Alcaraz has held it three times; Djokovic twice, with the longest single-stint reaching twenty weeks.
In Rome, Djokovic could lose up to 955 points if eliminated in the second round, while Alcaraz could gain up to 1,000 points by winning the tournament. The best possible outcome would push Alcaraz toward a nearly two-thousand-point margin in the Italian capital, though the reverse could also happen, effectively keeping the Foro Italico outcome in doubt. Both players will defend the same amount of points in Paris. In 2022, Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals against Alexander Zverev, while Djokovic was stopped by Rafael Nadal in a separate path.
Played for the first time in Rome, Alcaraz marked the moment with a social post: "They meet for the first time in 2023 " @carlosalcaraz #IBI23 | @atptour pic.twitter.com/mxbwCPvCyn
— Internazionali BNL d’Italia @InteBNLdItalia 11 May 2023
They meet for the first time in 2023
Continuing to lead the season, Alcaraz has earned 3,410 points this year after winning four titles, a haul including Indian Wells, the Madrid Open, and counts from other major events. That total puts him 110 points ahead of Daniil Medvedev and 845 ahead of Djokovic.
In the Rome event, the Spaniard arrived as the overwhelming favorite, while Djokovic faced a challenging start after seeing Tomas Etcheverry of Argentina eliminated early from the draw. The season has seen Alcaraz endure two losses in 31 matches, both times due to physical issues: to Cameron Norrie at the Rio Open final and to Jannik Sinner in the Miami Masters semifinals.
At Foro Italico, Djokovic and Alcaraz were scheduled to meet for the first time in 2023. The pair, arguably today’s two best players on tour, had only previously met once, a Madrid clash in 2022 won by Alcaraz. They could collide again in Rome, should both reach the final on Sunday, May 21.
“I miss the fact that we haven’t faced each other in the same draw since the season began, but we each had our own conditions. Carlos deserves the number one ranking after this tournament. He plays tennis at a high level on this surface, and he is the player to beat”, Djokovic said. He added that a potential Rome showdown would be eagerly anticipated by tennis fans around the world. The outcome will influence whether Nadal competes at Roland Garros, and Alcaraz is expected to arrive as a bold favorite. The two spoke about a matchup that has captivated fans for months, forecasting a must-watch clash if both advance to the finale.