Until then, circumstances have prevented the world N.1 and the one who will dislodge him for sure from the throne of world tennis after the Italian tournament on the simple condition of playing at least one match, to appear in the same table.

First there was the muscle injury to his right leg that kept Alcaraz out of the Australian Open, where Djokovic triumphed for the 22nd time in a Grand Slam and equalled Rafael Nadal's record - kept him away from the circuit for almost four months by a muscle in his left hip.

Then there was the impossibility - about to be lifted - for the Serb, not vaccinated against Covid-19, to participate in the Masters 1000 of Indian Wells and Miami. The young Spaniard, who opted for February's South American clay tour to kick off his season, won in California and was stopped in the semifinals in Florida.

Finally, there was Alcaraz's stalemate on Monte-Carlo, the first Masters 1000 of the European season on ochre, to give himself time to breathe, followed by that on Madrid of Djokovic, not in his best form since his recovery.

Carlos Alcaraz's rage to win title in Madrid, May 7, 2023 © Thomas COEX / AFP / Archives

Elbow to watch

"Carlitos" arrives in the Italian capital, for the first time, on the momentum of its Barcelona-Madrid double and strong of 19 victories, and three titles, in twenty matches on clay in 2023.

His consistency is remarkable: five finals played in six tournaments since his late start to the season less than three months ago.

"It's a very good point," said Juan Carlos Ferrero's protégé. It's something we work on, it's a goal to try not to have a fluctuating level of play from one tournament to another, but to maintain a certain level all the time. For now, I'm getting there, I'm very happy."

The recent trajectory of "Nole", holder of the trophy in Rome, is less flamboyant: in Monte-Carlo as in Banja Luka (Bosnia) in April, he lost in his second match (against Musetti and Lajovic), far from showing his best face and again bothered by his right elbow which had made him suffer several years ago.

Novak Djokovic in Banja Luka, April 19, 2023 © ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP/Archives

Three weeks before Roland-Garros, we will necessarily monitor the state of his joint.

Djokovic will start either against the young Frenchman Luca Van Assche (85th), as in Banja Luka, or against the Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry (61st). What's next? Potentially an indigestible sequence Dimitrov (33rd), Norrie (13th), Rune (7th) or Auger-Aliassime (10th), and Sinner (8th) in the last square.

1-0 Alcaraz

Alcaraz will start against another Spaniard, Albert Ramos (72nd), or the Italian Francesco Passaro (126th). On his journey then, there is a reunion in the knockout rounds with Borna Coric (16th), fresh semi-finalist in Madrid, a quarter-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th), outgoing finalist in Rome, and a semi-final against Rublev (6th), Zverev (22nd) or why not Medvedev (3rd).

If both reach the final, the winner of the US Open 2022, who has become the youngest world No. 1 in history, will go there with the advantage of having emerged victorious from his only face-to-face with Djokovic a year ago in Madrid (6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) in the semifinals).

With Van Assche, who is preparing to play his very first Masters 1000 at 18, the same age as Arthur Fils (119th), they are twelve Frenchmen to have their place in the main draw. Including Richard Gasquet, two wins away from the 600-match mark won, only reached among active players by Nadal, Djokovic and Murray.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic after their semi-final in Madrid, May 7, 2022 © GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP/Archives

In the women's draw, they are currently two entries, Caroline Garcia and Alizé Cornet. The world N.5, in search of her best form, will have as her first opponent the Romanian Ana Bogdan (59th) or a player from the qualifiers. A quarter-final against Aryna Sabalenka, world N.2 and freshly titled in Madrid, is potentially promised to him.

© 2023 AFP