عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Alcaraz Motivated to Topple Australian Open King Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz practices at the Australian Open. DAVID GRAY / AFP
Carlos Alcaraz practices at the Australian Open. DAVID GRAY / AFP
TT
TT

Alcaraz Motivated to Topple Australian Open King Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz practices at the Australian Open. DAVID GRAY / AFP
Carlos Alcaraz practices at the Australian Open. DAVID GRAY / AFP

Carlos Alcaraz says the challenge of toppling 10-time champion Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open gives him "extra motivation" as he aims to end the Serbian's long reign in Melbourne, AFP reported on Saturday.
The Spanish world number two missed the Grand Slam last year with a leg injury but is seeded to meet Djokovic in the final in Melbourne.
The pair have met five times –- all in semi-finals or finals -– with the veteran leading 3-2.
Djokovic, 36, is unbeaten at the year's opening major since 2018 but Alcaraz, who came out on top in a thrilling Wimbledon final last year, said that only increased his desire to win.
"It's an extra motivation for me," the two-time Grand Slam champion said on Saturday. "I'm an ambitious guy.
"I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what my level is. Obviously it's a good test, playing against him in the places or in the tournament that he's almost unbeaten.
"Yeah, I am looking to reach the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great, obviously."
Alcaraz is aiming to become just the fourth man to win three majors before turning 21 after Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander.
The 20-year-old chose not play a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, saying he had to recharge his body and mind.
"We discussed with my team, as well, that we need almost four, five weeks of pre-season to prepare well this season, for the first Grand Slam of the year," he said.
"We have no time if I wanted to play a tournament before the Australian Open. In the end we preferred to come here to the Australian Open, straight to a Grand Slam. I think I'm a guy who doesn't need so much competition before a big tournament."
The Spaniard is in Melbourne without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has had knee surgery. Instead he will be coached by Samuel Lopez, who worked with former world number one Ferrero during his playing career.
Alcaraz admitted losing Ferrero was a blow but said he trusted Lopez.
"I believe in him, Juan Carlos, as well," he said of Lopez. "I think I can learn a lot from him as well. Let's see how is going to be. As I said, I trust him 100 percent."

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Dakar Rally Comes Down to a Duel in the Sand between Lategan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Rajhi

Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
TT
TT

Dakar Rally Comes Down to a Duel in the Sand between Lategan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Rajhi

Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)

Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day Wednesday.

South Africa's Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes. Friday's last stage is a ceremonial drive to the finish in Shubaytah.

Al-Rajhi led by seven minutes before the 10th stage, a tricky 120-kilometer loop south of Shubaytah on Wednesday. But he got stuck and relinquished the overall lead back to Lategan.

“We got stuck because we were taking it easy,” Al-Rajhi said. “Everything is going good, that's the most important (thing). I have a good position, I hope.”

Lategan also took it easy but without finding any trouble, and was 10th on the stage, making up minutes on all of his nearest pursuers.

“It wasn't the plan to go quickly today,” Lategan said.

On Thursday, he will start 10th and Al-Rajhi 27th and they can push harder by taking advantage of the tracks of those in front.

'Most disappointing day of my life'

Third-placed Mattias Ekström fell two minutes further back to 27 minutes, and five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah lost five minutes to drop back to 30.

Al-Attiyah, the only former champion with an outside title shot, got lost about nine kilometers in.

“I'm very disappointed, but what can you do?” Al-Attiyah said. “We had a good pace but we lost a lot of time. This is the most disappointing day of my life.”

Spain's Nani Roma, one of only three men to win the Dakar in a car (2014) and motorbike (2004), won his first stage in nine years by 18 seconds from Lucas Moraes of Brazil. Brian Baragwanath of South Africa was third.

Sanders on the brink

Australian rider Daniel Sanders was on the brink of his first Dakar title in a motorbike race he's dominated from stage one.

Sanders was fourth on the 116-kilometer stage but ahead of his nearest rivals, extending his overall lead by about two minutes against Spain's Tosha Schareina and France's Adrien van Beveren.

The advantage over Schareina was 16 1/2 minutes, the biggest in the race so far.

“It's pretty much survival tomorrow and just get(ting) through,” Sanders said. “I think we'll be all right. I felt really good in the navigation and I was opening a little bit and then, yeah, it felt nice. So yeah, ready for tomorrow.”

Portugal's Rui Gonçalves won his maiden stage in his fifth Dakar by nearly four minutes from Slovakia's Stefan Svitko. American Skyler Howes was third.