"When the tournament is over, I will try to recover it as soon as possible" - Carlos Alcaraz on reclaiming World No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has advanced to the second round of the 2023 US Open. He was up against Dominik Koepfer in the opening round, but the German had to withdraw due to an ankle injury.

Koepfer rolled his ankle just six points into the game, but continued to play. However, he was unable to keep up eventually and retired while trailing Alcaraz 6-2, 3-2, handing his opponent the victory.

The outcome of the match, however, did not prevent Carlos Alcaraz from losing his World No. 1 ranking.

Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz have been battling it out for the ranking all year. The young Spaniard held the position going into the 2023 US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.

The Serb had a chance to overthrow his rival with a victory in his first-round match against Frenchman Alexandre Muller at the New York Slam. That's exactly what happened as the 23-time Grand Slam champion marked a triumphant return at Flushing Meadows, cruising to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 win against Muller.

Alcaraz spoke at a press conference following his victory and stated that he knew Djokovic would take the ranking after the US Open. He also promised to reclaim the top spot as soon as the tournament was over.

"Well, right now it's a goal for me honestly. I said before that we are having a really good battle for the No. 1, Novak and I. I knew that he was going to recover the No. 1 after US Open," Alcaraz said.

"When the tournament is over, I will try to recover [it] as soon as possible. That's my goal. I am working for that. The season has a lot of tournaments until the year is over. I'll try to recover it before the tournament end, before the year end," he added.

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"This is not the best way to win a match" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2023 US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz then discussed his opponent Dominik Koepfer's injury, claiming that it wasn't the best way win a match. However, he was also content to finish up early, rest, and prepare for his next match.

"Obviously, I want to play battles. I want to play the full matches. This is not the best way to win a match. But obviously playing night session, I'm happy to come back early, have some rest," Alcaraz said.

"Well, a little bit more than I expect before starting the match. It's going to be better for me to recover into the next round," he added.

Alcaraz will face Lloyd Harris in the second round of the 2023 US Open. It will be their first meeting on the ATP Tour.