Carlos Alcaraz close to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in terms of behavior, says Dusan Lajovic

Dusan Lajovic heaped praise on Carlos Alcaraz, claiming that the Spaniard was close to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in terms of his behavior on the court.

Alcaraz has produced some high-level tennis in the past few years, winning the US Open and becoming the youngest-ever male World No. 1, among other achievements.

The Spaniard has been in terrific form so far this season with three titles to his name, most recently winning the Barcelona Open without dropping a single set.

Dusan Lajovic, who recently won the Srpska Open after beating Andrey Rublev in the finals, spoke about Carlos Alcaraz in an interview with CLAY. The Serb compared Alcaraz to the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in terms of how he behaved on the court, saying that the 19-year-old thrives in tough situations just like the greats.

"He is probably one of the best competitors out there, apart from the big three and the guys that have been in another level through out the years. He is very close to them in terms how he behaves, what he does on the court. The harder the moment, the more he thrives,'" Lajovic said.

Lajovic added that Alcaraz's attitude on the the court in tough situations makes him very hard to go up against.

"He enjoys these moments differently and he lets everything go when the match is tense. That’s why we see so many highlights shots from him when is an important moment of the match. This is what makes him really difficult to play," he added.

Dusan Lajovic claims Carlos Alcaraz is on the path to be one of the all-time greats in tennis

Carlos Alcaraz and Dusan Lajovic after their match at the 2023 Miami Open

In the same interview, Dusan Lajovic predicted that Carlos Alcaraz is on track to become one of the best players in tennis history.

"He is already a great player, and I feel he is on that path to be greater. I mean, to be one of the bests. Being so young at the top of the world is probably something that influenced him differently. It is interesting to see that new challenges await him," Lajovic said.

The Serb said that the Spaniard is the player everyone wants to beat wherever he plays.

"Last season he just exploded and went up the rankings in one season , which is unreal. Now, everywhere he goes, he is the guy that everybody wants to beat. He needs now to prove he is there, what he is capable of, showing his quality to the players. If he is able to do it this season, I feel he will be on the top for quite a while," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz will next compete at the Madrid Open, where he is the defending champion. The 19-year-old has received a bye to the second round of the tournament, where he will face either Emil Ruusuvuori or Ugo Humbert.