Novak Djokovic missing US Open was ‘lucky,’ admits Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz was happy to concede that Novak Djokovic not being at the US Open was ‘lucky’ for him.

Djokovic’s vaccination views meant he was unable to enter America and compete at the US Open.

That appeared to open the door for others, and that looked even more the case when Daniil Medvedev suffered an early exit and it became apparent that Rafael Nadal was fighting injury.

In the end, it was 19-year-old Alcaraz who took the opportunity and won a maiden major, but he acknowledges there was some goof fortune involved.

“Look, I don’t want to take credit away from myself,” Alcaraz The New York Times after the US Open, “but it’s true that Rafa, Djokovic, Federer, they were in a period when they were all playing.

“I had the luck or whatever you want to call it that Djokovic could not play. Everybody has their reasons, but that is the reality.

“He could not play much for a while, and Rafa kept playing but not all year, either. But like I said, I don’t want to take credit away from myself.

“I have been playing all season, playing incredible matches and incredible tournaments, and I’ve worked really hard so that things like this could happen.”

Novak Djokovic is expected to be able to play at the Australian Open in January after the country relaxed their Covid protocols.

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