Novak Djokovic recently expressed his opinion on Carlos Alcaraz’s attempt at greatness. The Serbian believes that, although the young Spaniard has already shown great promise at 21 years old, he may want to stop before making any big promises.
Alcaraz enjoyed a remarkable season on the ATP Tour last year, winning four titles, two of which came at the French Open and Wimbledon. However, he fell two places from his world No. 1 ranking to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, raising concerns about his consistency.
That said, Alcaraz did not hesitate to express his positive aspirations last year when he said he wanted to be “part of tennis history.” He also spoke highly of the 24-time Major winner’s career as a reference point.
“I know it’s almost impossible to beat Novak’s records, but I play tennis for myself, for joy and I want to do great things,” Carlos Alcaraz said last year (via BBC Sport). “I want to be part of tennis history.”
In this context, Novak Djokovic expressed his opinion about the Spaniard’s ambitious attitude in his interview with GQ. The 37-year-old began by congratulating the World No. 3, predicting that he will likely complete the professional Grand Slam at some point in his career.
However, he admitted at the same time that Alcaraz might be out of turn to think about his place in tennis history.
“Carlos has done something that no one has done in history at such a young age. So the odds are with him. He’s going to complete his career.” [career] Slam very soon,” Novak Djokovic told GQ. “He himself has said that he wants to make history. He wants to be ‘the best in history’. I respect that kind of mentality of ‘Hey, I think I’ve got the good stuff.’ But maybe it’s a little early to think about history.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic plan to meet in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are ready to renew their rivalry at the 2025 Australian Open. The Spaniard and the Serbian are sharing the quarterfinals, so only one of them will reach the semifinals in Melbourne.
Alcaraz will have to give their best to overtake the 24-time Major winner if they find themselves in the last eight. He trails Djokovic by a slim 3-4 margin in their head-to-head matchups on the ATP Tour, giving the 37-year-old considerable odds of winning his potential match.
Edited by Prathik BR