Marion Bartoli picks Novak Djokovic as "the best" over Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz's incredible rise to the top of the ATP rankings last year caught the tennis world by storm, as did the ensuing see-saw battle with Novak Djokovic for the World No. 1 spot.

Alcaraz, who became the youngest player to occupy the coveted top slot following his US Open win last year, failed to latch on after being unable to defend his Miami Open title, thus allowing Djokovic to reclaim the elite ranking.

Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who was involved in a discussion on which of the two players is the best in the world, picked the Serb while arguing that Djokovic has won 22 Grand Slams as compared to Alcaraz's lone triumph in the 2022 New York Major.

"For now, you have one guy who has 22 Grand Slams and another one who has one Grand Slam. It’s very easy to say who is No 1," she asserted while speaking on a Tennis Majors panel discussion show called Match Points.

Bartoli disclosed that she was looking forward to a duel between Alcaraz and Djokovic on clay and during Wimbledon to determine who would be the best.

"I’m looking forward to the clay and to Wimbledon ahead to see when both of them are able to play those events, if they go toe to toe, who will be the best,” she added.

The two players went head-to-head only once last year, with Carlos Alcaraz emerging the winner in the big semifinals en route to a Madrid Open title after having defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.

However, the much-awaited second encounter between Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz will not be possible at the ongoing Monte-Carlo Open following the teenager's withdrawal from the tournament, but the 35-year-old has made it through to the second round.

"Ugly tennis win from me today" - Novak Djokovic after 1R win in Monte-Carlo

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2023 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic was put to the test in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he managed to come away with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over World No. 198 Ivan Gakhov.

The two-time champion admitted that he played some "ugly tennis" under challenging conditions in Monte-Carlo.

"It was probably, if you can call it this way, an ugly tennis win for me today. I haven't played my best, particularly in the first set. And I kind of expected that that was going to happen in a way with swirly conditions, a lot of wind today, changing directions", he stated during an on-court interview after the win.

Novak Djokovic last won the tournament in 2015 after a historic title win a couple of years earlier that ended Rafael Nadal's eight-time winning streak in the Principality.

He failed to get past the opening round in Monte-Carlo last year after a shock defeat against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.