Carlos Alcaraz has developed a serving technique that very closely resembles that of Novak Djokovic, prompting the Serb to jokingly mention a “copyright” claim regarding it. Recently, Alcaraz revealed the message Djokovic sent him after noticing the similarities in their serving styles.
Carlos Alcaraz Reveals the Message Novak Djokovic Sent Him After Noticing Spaniard Having Same Serve as Him
Alcaraz is currently in Melbourne competing at the 2026 Australian Open. He began his campaign by defeating Adam Walton in the first round. He then eliminated Yannick Hanfmann and 32nd seed Corentin Moutet in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Most recently, Alcaraz overcame 19th seed Tommy Paul and won with a scoreline of 7-6(6), 7-5, 7-5. After his fourth-round win, while speaking to Jim Courier, during the post-match on-court interview, Alcaraz was asked about Djokovic’s humorous claim of “copyright” over his serving technique.
In response, Alcaraz confirmed that he had indeed heard about Djokovic’s claim and playfully stated that he has a “contract” with him.
“Yeah, I heard that. I have the contract over there, but I haven’t seen him yet. It was funny because it was the precision, and yes, some videos came up with the movement. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that it was really similar to my serve,” Alcaraz said.
The six-time Grand Slam champion revealed that after observing their similar serving techniques, Djokovic had messaged him, saying that Alcaraz needs to pay him for the serve. The Spaniard mentioned that such interactions with fellow players on tour are “fun.”
“I just woke up one day, took out my phone, and there was Djokovic’s message: ‘You have to pay me for the serve.’ He sent me the message. So it was fun. These kinds of things, in the locker room, it’s fun to share with another player,” he added.
Djokovic is seeded fourth at the 2026 Australian Open, and he defeated Pedro Martínez, qualifier Francesco Maestrelli, and Botic van de Zandschulp in the first three rounds. He advanced to the quarterfinals after his fourth-round opponent, 16th seed Jakub Menšík, withdrew from the tournament due to an abdominal muscle injury.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face either fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti or ninth seed Taylor Fritz. This year, the Serb is aiming to secure his 11th title at the Melbourne Major and a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
Who Will Carlos Alcaraz Face at the 2026 Australian QF?
Following his victory over Paul in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open, Alcaraz is set to face sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
De Minaur began his campaign at the Melbourne Major by defeating lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. He then overcame Hamad Medjedovic and the 29th seed, Frances Tiafoe in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The Aussie secured his place in the quarterfinals against Alcaraz by eliminating 10th seed Alexander Bublik in the fourth round.
Alcaraz and De Minaur have faced each other five times on the ATP Tour, with the World No. 1 winning all five encounters. Their most recent match-up was during the round-robin stage of the 2025 ATP Finals, where Alcaraz secured a 7-6(5), 6-2 win. He then advanced to the final, finishing as the runner-up to defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The winner of the quarterfinal match between Alcaraz and De Minaur at the 2026 Australian Open will advance to face either the third seed, Alexander Zverev, or the 25th seed, Learner Tien, in the semifinals of the tournament.
