Novak Djokovic is picked as US Open favorite ahead of Carlos Alcaraz – the defending champ John McEnroe calls ‘the most complete 20-year-old’ ever

Carlos Alcaraz wishes he could go a little unnoticed as he tries to move around the family home US open.

That is of course not possible. New York is the last place you can find peace when you’re the star of the show, and even at only 20 years oldIt seems that the Spaniard already is in tennis.

He may not be the oddsmakers favourite, despite being the defending champion – Novak Djokovic is backafter all – but he certainly seems to be a popular choice among fans.

They will have to wait another day to see him. Alcaraz is not scheduled for the first matchday on Monday, because he is at the top of the ranking Iga Swaatek opens her title defense in the afternoon and both 19-year-old Coco Gauff and Djokovic play at night.

Alcaraz will face Dominik Koepfer on Tuesday evening, providing an extra day to put aside the distractions and hype that started even before he won the title last year and have since snowballed.

Alcaraz, the defending US Open champion, returns to Flushing Meadows to keep his crown

“Well, my life has changed a lot,” Alcaraz said with a smile this week. “It’s probably a different life, if we’re talking about the way I’m, shall we say, more famous. For example, many people are starting to know my name after the US Open last year.’

Are victory over Casper Ruud made Alcaraz the first teenager to win the US Open men’s title since Pete Sampras in 1990.

However, Sampras didn’t become instantly famous, not with John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors still around and Andre Agassi already on the scene.

But with Roger Federer retired and compatriot Rafael Nadal sidelined since January due to injuries, Alcaraz has quickly picked up many of their fans along with his own, a fact he quickly discovered when he returned to New York and noticed how many people recognized him when he went to restaurants or golf courses.

‘Sometimes I like it; sometimes not,’ Alcaraz said. “Sometimes you want to feel like a normal boy, walk normally. … Yes, I wish some days I could be someone who isn’t recognized at all.

‘But it will be impossible. Got to enjoy that part too. But sometimes it’s difficult.’

But he clearly enjoys it. He played a point with NBA star Jimmy Butler at a charity event to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, then scored a goal with an oversized tennis ball on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day and teamed up with Swiatek wins a soccer volleyball point.

Still, it’s his real tennis that spectators can’t wait to see. Alcaraz’s crowd-pleasing style, huge forehand hits and deft touch on his drop shots left Djokovic and McEnroe in astonishment as everyone else.

But Djokovic’s return comes after missing the 2022 US Open due to the lack of a COVID shot

Alcaraz and Djokovic met earlier this year in the final at Wimbledon, which Alcaraz won

‘This guy is great. Electric,” says McEnroe, now an ESPN analyst. He called Alcaraz “the most complete twenty-year-old I’ve ever seen, and that includes Novak, Roger and Rafa.”

That has led Alcaraz to a record 53 wins and six titles this season, including a second major trophy when he defeated Djokovic at Wimbledon.

However, he comes back with a loss after being beaten by Djokovic in a final in Cincinnati that lasted three sets and nearly four hours.

That victory, along with his record 23 Grand Slam titles among men, are likely the reasons why Djokovic is the tournament favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

He and Alcaraz have met in the last two Grand Slam tournaments, and while they couldn’t do that in New York until the September 10 final, the 36-year-old from Serbia won’t be waiting long to check out his new rival. .

“He is definitely one of the best players in the world in recent years,” said Djokovic. “Of course, there’s always an eye following him, from my team, from any other team. I know that probably applies to me too.’