Novak Djokovic thinks neither Alexander Zverev nor Carlos Alcaraz are too happy with their recent results but the Serb is not surprised as he warns that the quality of the competition has improved and that there are no guarantees in modern tennis.

After Jannik Sinner was banned, the attention shifted to the German, the Spaniard but also the Serb as the three players that would probably have the most say in competing for titles. But neither of the three mentioned players has won any tournaments since the Italian was suspended.

And failing to do well over the last two months is especially painful for Zverev since Sinner’s ban put him in the pole position to finally reach the world No. 1 spot for the first time in his career. But after winning only six of his last 11 matches, the 27-year-old remains ranked at No. 2 and the Italian is guaranteed to return as the top-ranked player next month.

Djokovic: The dominance we were used to saw is no longer guaranteed

“When you win a Grand Slam, you accumulate 2,000 points, which is a lot… Zverev is probably not happy with his recent tournaments, as I imagine the same goes for Alcaraz, but everyone is playing great tennis these days. The dominance we were used to, or expected to see, is no longer guaranteed. Still, the season is long, and I am sure the three players we just mentioned will be the ones fighting for the world No. 1 spot at the end of the year,” the Serb explained.

In Zverev’s case, many believe that two things are to blame for his recent struggles – losing his confidence after the Australian Open final loss and the pressure he felt to make the world No. 1 spot after Sinner’s ban.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz openly admitted to reporters in Monte Carlo that he was “killed” by pressure to deliver after the Italian’s suspension.

When it comes to Djokovic, he was close to winning Miami but lost in the final.