Novak Djokovic jokes about Carlos Alcaraz’s new serve: ‘We have to talk about copyright’ | ATP Tour
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Djokovic jokes about Alcaraz’s new serve: ‘We have to talk about copyright’
Serbian beats Martinez at Australian Open on Monday
January 19, 2026
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Novak Djokovic plays in Melbourne on Monday.
Sam Jacott
Carlos Alcaraz’s new serve became the talk of the tennis world last week, and the Spaniard himself admitted in Melbourne that there may be a familiar influence behind it.
That influence? Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic was finally asked about the similarities at the Australian Open on Monday night, and he didn’t miss the chance to have some fun.
“As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message. I said, we have to talk about copyright issues.” Djokovic said with a smile. “Then when I met him here, I told him we had to talk about the percentage he won. Every ace I expect, you know, is a tribute to me. Every ace he plays here. Let’s see if he’s going to keep his protocol.”
Djokovic could only face Alcaraz in the Melbourne final, but his serve suffered a lot in his first-round win at the Australian Open on Monday.
The record-breaking 10-time champion won 93% of his first serve points and faced no break points against Pedro Martinez. Djokovic has now won 100 matches at hard-court Grand Slams, just two shy of Roger Federer’s all-time record of 102 wins.
The 38-year-old Serbian is pleased with his start.
“It felt good tonight. Let’s see how it feels in a few days,” Djokovic said of how he felt physically and mentally. “Performance-wise, it was a great feeling on the court. I couldn’t ask for more. Obviously, it was a great serving performance. Overall, it was a great feeling to be on the court, which has made me feel good many times throughout my career.”
Djokovic, ranked fourth in the PIF ATP rankings, will next face Italy’s Francesco Mastrelli in what will be the first Lexus ATP head-to-head meeting between the two.
