Carlos Alcaraz has given the perfect response to Novak Djokovic’s jokey claims that the Spaniard had stolen his serve. The duo met in the Australian Open final last month with Alcaraz coming out on top, but they had an interaction earlier in the tournament over the phone, as revealed by Djokovic.
The topic of their text conversation was centred around Alcaraz’s new technique on serves which made them start to look very similar to Djokovic’s. The Serb was quick to point that out in a recent interview with Alcaraz later made aware of his comments that allowed him to issue an in-jest response.
Djokovic had said: “As soon as I saw it [his serve], I sent him [Alcaraz] a message. I said, we have to speak about the copyrights [smiling]. Then when I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about percentage of his winnings. Every ace I expect, you know, a tribute to me. Every ace that he makes here. Let’s see if he’s going to stick to the agreement.”
In response to that, speaking to Tennis TV, Alcaraz said: “[laughing] The contract has been signed so… jokes aside, it was great that he had this sense of humour, that we had some laughs about it and having a great time talking about it. But I think it worked out [smiling].”
It is quite clear through their emotions when discussing the serve that both players are joking with their respectful relationship clearly shown during the trophy presentation after the Australian Open final. Claiming silverware at Rod Laver Arena saw Alcaraz become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam at 22.
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Djokovic had felt the force of Alcaraz’s change in serving technique during that 3-1 victory as the world No.1 hit nine aces. Earlier in the tournament, he adressed the Djokovic comparison when asked about the reasons behind the change.
He said: “You probably meant to say it’s very similar to Djokovic’s, right? I knew it… (laughs). Seriously, I don’t know. I think everyone has to make changes, adjust certain details. And for me, the serve is something I really want to improve. Every year, in every tournament, I put a lot of effort into my serve.
“I just slightly changed the motion, and I feel more comfortable this way. It’s more fluid, more relaxed, and perfectly timed. It helps me serve much better… I didn’t think about copying Djokovic’s serve. But of course, I can see the similarities.”