Novak Djokovic caught up with Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai.
Novak Djokovic is back in action in Shanghai (Image: Getty)
Novak Djokovic was reunited with Carlos Alcaraz behind the scenes at the Shanghai Masters.
The Serb is playing his first tournament in almost a month while Alcaraz comes in fresh off the back of a title win in Beijing.
The rivals shared a touching moment as they crossed paths in the hallway ahead of the tournament.
Djokovic and Alcaraz haven’t competed at the same tournament since the US Open, where they both suffered shock early exits. The 37-year-old was stunned in the third round while Alcaraz was ousted in round two.
Now back together in the draw of the Shanghai Masters, behind-the-scenes cameras caught them catching up as Djokovic noted how much tennis the Spaniard had been playing compared to him.
“Little titan!” the 24-time Grand Slam champion exclaimed in Spanish as he approached Alcaraz.
“You’re too much on the court, I’m outside of the court.”
Meeting of the greats 🤩@CarlosAlcaraz & @DjokerNole cross paths 🤝#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/4OqolzEVpC
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 5, 2024
Both men laughed as Djokovic admitted he was enjoying his limited schedule. “I’m enjoying my time off the court man,” he added.
Alcaraz asked: “Everything all good?” And the world No. 4 confirmed that he was doing well as he walked off.
Djokovic has made it no secret that he isn’t interested in playing a full season anymore. During a recent exhibition match against Grigor Dimitrov, he confessed that he wasn’t bothered about making it to the ATP Finals.
He is currently ninth in the race and only the top eight qualify. “Torino [the ATP Finals] is not my goal at all, to be honest. I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings,” the 37-year-old explained.
“As far as I’m concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career. Whether I will play others this year or in the future, I can’t say right now.
“My main priorities are playing for the national team and Slams. Everything else is less important. I said a million times how much it means to play for the national team.”
The Shanghai Masters could well be his last tournament of the year. It’s the only event listed on his website but he has put his name on the entry list for the Paris Masters, taking place at the end of October.
