Novak Djokovic: "First with Rafael Nadal, now with Carlos Alcaraz, Spain has a great tradition in tennis"

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently praised Spain's tennis tradition for producing exceptional players such as Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic cemented his status as the greatest tennis player of all time on Sunday (September 10), defeating Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 US Open final to win a record 24th Grand Slam singles title.

The 36-year-old has equaled Margaret Court's record for the most Grand Slam titles in the history of the sport. However, he stands alone as the sole player to have secured 24 Majors in the Open era.

The Serb is currently in Spain, joining his national team for the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals in Valencia.

Serbia is in group C alongside Spain, Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea and have secured a 3-0 victory in their opening match against the Asian country.

Novak Djokovic told Spanish media before the start of his Davis Cup campaign that he was hoping to face Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament, as their teams were in the same group. Unfortunately, Alcaraz withdrew from the event due to physical and mental exhaustion from a hectic year on the ATP Tour.

"The truth is that I expected to play against Carlos here in Valencia, he is a player I respect a lot, whenever I have measured him they have been very hard matches, he is a person and an incredible player," the Serb said.

Djokovic also praised Spain's tennis tradition, citing 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and two-time Major winner Carlos Alcaraz as examples. He joked that he would do anything to defeat the Spanish Armada.

"First with Rafa, now with Alcaraz, Spain has a great tradition in tennis. But hey, I'm from Serbia and these days I'm going to do everything I can to beat Spain," the reigning US Open champion said.

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Novak Djokovic is happy to be back at Valencia after 15 long years

Novak Djokovic pictured with his US Open trophy

Novak Djokovic said he is happy to be returning to Valencia after a long absence. He last visited the city 15 years ago, when he competed in the inaugural edition of the Valencia Open, which has since stopped taking place.

"I'm happy to be in Valencia, it's been a long time since I came. I think the last time was more than fifteen years ago," he said.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner will start his journey at the Davis Cup by participating in Serbia's second match against the Czech Republic on Saturday (September 16).

The top two teams from the group stage will advance to the Final 8 stage, scheduled for November 21-26 in Malaga.