Novak Djokovic Jokes Carlos Alcaraz Has Borrowed His Service Motion: 'A Tribute...'

Last Updated:January 20, 2026, 11:08 IST

Novak Djokovic jokes about Carlos Alcaraz copying his serve motion at the Australian Open, discusses copyright.

Novak Djokovic will take on Francesco Maestrelli in the second round of Australian Open (Picture credit: AP)

24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has said that he messaged Carlos Alcaraz as soon as he found out the latter had changed his service motion to something similar to his, adding that he would like to charge the youngster a percentage of his winnings for copying his action.

World No. 1 Alcaraz has at times struggled with precision and consistency on serve and has tweaked his technique for the season’s opening Grand Slam.

Eagle-eyed fans noted that Alcaraz’s more compact service motion now resembles Djokovic’s, a similarity the latter was asked about after he cruised into the second round at Melbourne Park.

“As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message. I said, ‘We have to speak about the copyrights. Then, when I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about a percentage of his winnings," Djokovic said while speaking to the media.

“Every ace I expect, you know, a tribute to me. Every ace that he makes here. Let us see if he is going to stick to the agreement," Djokovic added.

Asked about his new serve ahead of the tournament, Alcaraz said that he was flattered by the comparison to Djokovic, but he insisted it was a coincidence.

“No. I did not think about, or I was not thinking about, making the same serve as Djokovic. But at the end, I can even see the similarities," Alcaraz said.

On Monday, the Serb dismissed Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and meets Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round.

It was Djokovic’s landmark 100th Australian Open win.

“Great to be back once again, definitely my favourite court. Centurion is pretty nice. I always give my best on the court; history-making is a great motivation. I am blessed to be still playing at this level," Djokovic said.

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