"I think they are very, very similar from the level of the game; the other guys gotta catch up" - Alexander Zverev on Carlos Alcaraz & Novak Djokovic

Alexander Zverev has stated that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are pretty close in terms of the level of tennis they play.

On Wednesday, September 6, Zverev saw his 2023 US Open campaign come to an end at the hands of Alcaraz. He lost 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in under two and a half hours in the quarterfinals.

At a press conference after the match, Alexander Zverev was asked about how challenging it is to play someone like Carlos Alcaraz. In reply, he stated that the Spaniard was at the same level as Novak Djokovic and that other players on the tour needed to catch up with them.

"I played Novak in Cincinnati, I played Carlos here. I think they are very, very similar from the level of the game. There are some things that Novak does better; there are some things that Carlos does better," he said.

"I think they are at a level of their own at the moment. Yeah, the other guys gotta catch up. That's as simple as that."

Before the US Open got underway, Zverev faced Djokovic in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open, where he lost in straight sets - 7-6 (5), 7-5.

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"I'm so happy to see him playing his best again" - Carlos Alcaraz on Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev waves to the crowd after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals.

After his dominant victory against Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz expressed happiness at having the German back to playing at his best again.

"The last time I played against Zverev was in Madrid this year. He said he wasn't ready to play at his best and I was sad about it. We've had some big fights and big matches. I'm so happy to see him back in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam and playing his best again," he said in his on-court interview.

Zverev rolled his ankle during his semifinal clash against Rafael Nadal at the 2021 French Open. He was wheeled out of the court and it was later revealed that he suffered torn ankle ligaments. He has since slowly made his comeback to the tour and looked strong in New York this year.

With his performance at the season's final Grand Slam, the German will break into the ATP top 10 for the first time since November last year. He has also gone up to eighth place in the ATP Live Race To Turin standings.