“Tennis needs to have 36-year-old Novak Djokovic being stalked by 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz” – Jimmy Connors

Tennis great Jimmy Connors recently said tennis needs exciting duels between youngsters like Carlos Alcaraz and legends like Novak Djokovic.

Jimmy was in conversation with Brett Connors during an episode of the Advantage Connors podcast. The duo discussed the impact of the budding rivalry between Alcaraz and Djokovic on tennis enthusiasts.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion said the two finals the duo played this year — the Wimbledon Championships and the Cincinnati Open — caught the attention of everyone following the sport.

"I did see some of it [Cincinnati Open final]. It was needed for the people who not only wanna watch but also go out and play you know every weekend or twice a week and try to figure out ‘how he hit that shot?’ or ‘what did he do there?’ or ‘how can I do that?’ or ‘what it’s gonna take for me to hit a forehand," Jimmy Connors said.

Jimmy suggested the sport required such contests to sustain.

“That’s what tennis needs… tennis needs to have Djokovic… 36-year-old still playing that kind of tennis and being followed closely and stalked by a 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who wants to take his place and move him aside," he said.

The 70-year-old, however, said that youngsters like Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas needed to step up and be part of intriguing duels.

“Their Wimbledon final… amazing! This final… amazing! But here’s what’s amazing… It takes a 36-year-old guy to make it amazing. That to me is the big part of it you know… Where is [Alexander] Zverev? Where is [Stefanos] Tsitsipas? Where are they… it takes a 36-year-old guy to make that happen," added Jimmy.

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"He never gives up" - Carlos Alcaraz on Novak Djokovic ahead of US Open

Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz during his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2023 US Open said Novak Djokovic fights till the end, a quality that the Spaniard would like to have in his own game.

"Probably his mental rock. I going to say he never give up. I mean, tough, tough moment, probably he shows that he's down and he's going to lose, and he's always give the chance to himself to keep playing and be able to win," Alcaraz said.

"Probably that's the most important thing that he has, and I try to take in my own game. Like in the final that we played, it was exactly the same I'm talking about. That's something that I learn and I'll try to do in my own game," the World No. 1 added.

Carlos Alcaraz will start his US Open campaign on Tuesday, August 29, against Germany's Dominik Koepfer.