Imitating Carlos? Why does Carlos Alcaraz even see a resemblance to Novak Djokovic in his new serve? ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz
Imitating Carlos? Why Alcaraz even sees similarities in Djokovic’s new serve
The 22-year-old Spaniard aims to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam
January 16, 2026
Kelly DeFina/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his first Australian Open title.
Written by ATP Staff
In recent days, many tennis fans have watched clips of Carlos Alcaraz’s new serve moves on social media. “Where have I seen a serve like this before?” they asked.
Will the Spaniard draw on the skills of someone with more Grand Slam titles than himself?
When a reporter asked about the new initiative at Friday’s pre-match press conference at the Australian Open, Alcaraz was ready to have a little fun.
“You want to say it’s really like Djokovic’s serve (smile). I know you want to say that,” Alcaraz joked. “I wasn’t thinking about hitting the same serve as Djokovic. But in the end, I could even see the similarities.
“I think everyone has to make changes, the little details. For me, serving is something I really want to get better every year, every game. I just keep working on my serve.”
Even if his opponent Yannick Sinner completes his third consecutive Australian Open title, Alcaraz will not be in danger of losing the top spot in the PIF ATP rankings during these two weeks. But that doesn’t mean the 22-year-old is short of goals at Melbourne Park: he will be trying to become the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
“As I said before, this is my main goal this year,” said Alcaraz, who has won $60 million in his young career. “The first game is the main goal. I’ve had really good results in the preseason, just to stay in good shape. I’m just hungry for the championship, hungry to do well here. I’m just trying to prepare as best I can. I’m really excited for the games to start.”
Considering Juan Carlos Ferrero left his team, Alcaraz does not believe the change will affect his chances of competing in the Open.
“I’m confident in the team I have now… I’m really grateful for the seven years I had with Juan Carlos. I learned a lot. It’s probably thanks to him that I became who I am now.”
“We ended this chapter together. We’re still friends and have a great relationship. But that’s what we decided.”
Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals last year, plays his first match on day one on Sunday against Australian Adam Walton. He will face another Australian, Alex De Minaur, in the quarter-finals. With Sinner and Djokovic in the bottom half of the draw, Alcaraz’s potential semifinal opponents include No. 3 Alexander Zverev, No. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 11 Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz and Sinner have shared eight Grand Slam titles over the past two seasons and have played together in the past three Grand Slam finals, with the Spaniard winning the French Open and U.S. Open and Sinner winning at Wimbledon.
