Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz will finish as year-end World No. 1, believes tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann

Top tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann has picked Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic to finish the 2023 season as year-end World No. 1. The American has also picked Elena Rybakina on the women’s side as the WTA year-end No. 1.

Alcaraz finished the 2022 season as the youngest-ever year-end World No. 1, on the back of his maiden Grand Slam triumph at the US Open. However, Djokovic reclaimed the top spot by winning his record 10th Australian Open this January.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have traded the No. 1 ranking back and forth since then. The Serb holds on to the top spot for now, despite missing the Sunshine Double due to USA’s COVID-19 vaccine rules.

Djokovic is, however, currently struggling with an elbow injury, and he withdrew from the ongoing 2023 Madrid Open. The World No. 1’s participation in the upcoming Rome Masters is not confirmed yet, so he may relinquish the top ranking to Alcaraz yet again.

In the women’s game, meanwhile, Iga Swiatek has been World No. 1 since 2022. She has recorded 52 straight weeks (and counting) at the top of the rankings since making her debut as No. 1.

However, Stuhlmann believes reigning Wimbledon champion Rybakina could topple the Pole by the end of the season.

Rachel Stuhlmann recently took to Instagram to answer some of the questions fans were frequently asking her.

“I got Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina for year-end No. 1,” wrote the influencer.

Stuhlmann also stated that Hawkeye technology is good for tennis and that the game shouldn’t go back to ball kids bringing the towels to players.

"Yes I think Hawkeye is good for the game and think it’s a good move to have at all tournaments. No, I don’t think we should go back to ball kids carrying the towels over to the players," she wrote.

Novak Djokovic will go down as the best ever: Andy Roddick

Djokovic will go down as the best ever

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick recently stated that 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will go down as the best-ever tennis player in history. While Roddick reckons Carlos Alcaraz is better at 19 than the Big-3 at that age, he is of the opinion that Djokovic has played the best tennis ever since turning 28.

“[Novak Djokovic] will go down as best ever. Carlos better at 19 than Novak was at same age. Novak playing better from 28 years old on than anyone has,” Roddick tweeted.

Currently in his record-extending 385th week as World No. 1, Novak Djokovic has had an underwhelming clay season so far. He lost to Dusan Lajovic in the ATP 250 Srpska Open quarterfinals in Banja Luka and to Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

It remains to be seen if the 35-year-old will return for the Italian Open and the French Open.