Aug 4, 2024; Paris, France; Novak Djokovic (SRB) greets Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) after winning the men’s singles gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros.

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“Not Normal”: Novak Djokovic Lauds Carlos Alcaraz While Evaluating His Domination With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Djokovic faces Arnaldi in his Madrid opener this week.

Aug 4, 2024; Paris, France; Novak Djokovic (SRB) greets Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) after winning the men’s singles gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros.

With a young crop of tennis talent bursting onto the scene, one member of the old guard has remained constant. Novak Djokovic has successfully managed to stay relevant and competent in an era dominated by fresh faces such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Talking about the domination asserted by his generation and the lack thereof currently, the 24-time Grand Slam champion came in support of ‘Carlitos’.

Carlos Alcaraz turned pro in 2018 at the unimaginable age of 15. Since then, his immaculate rise has earned him 18 singles trophies and 4 Grand Slam titles. Among others, he has forged an intense rivalry with former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic during this time. The duo has faced off in numerous iconic finals – including two Wimbledon finals in 2023 and 2024, and the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics last year. But will we ever see the 21-year-old emulate the likes of Djokovic, Nadal or Federer?

‘We Have to Remember His Age’: Novak Djokovic on Carlos Alcaraz

Djokovic is currently participating in the Mutua Madrid Open – a tournament that he has previously won on three occasions. Meanwhile, Alcaraz pulled out of the competition citing an injury. Ahead of his opening match, the Serbian icon was asked about the domination that the likes of himself, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal commanded over the game. Moreover, the current generation doesn’t seem to be as consistent as them.

Speaking about the same, Djokovic said, “Well I take that as a compliment from you, and for our generation. But look, it was not something that was common.” Reminding everyone that even the Big-3 had certain phases of dominance and that his peak came between the ages of 23-33, the 99-time titleist praised Alcaraz. “We have to remember his age and what he has done for his age is not normal.”

Djokovic on post Big 3 and Alcaraz

“For me that level of dominant tennis came when I was 23/24 years old, so say between 23 and 33 when it was happening. Alcaraz is still not 23, so we have to remember his age and what he has done for his age is also not normal..”

🎥: ATP Media pic.twitter.com/vYvUMzlaWO
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) April 25, 2025

“I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of him on the big stage with trophies in the future – 10 years, 15 years – as long as he’s playing.” He also stressed on the adaptation from the fans’ perspective, and how the sport is above all. “I guess it takes a bit of time for people to accept that Roger and Rafa are not playing, and Murray, and I guess one day myself. But I’m still trying to represent the older guys, the older generation.”

Djokovic-Alcaraz Rivalry Over the Years

Out of eight match-ups, there has been only one Djokovic vs Alcaraz match which was settled in straight sets and without a single tiebreak. The first ever tussle between the two players was in Madrid 2022, when Alcaraz entered the final by winning the humdinger 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(5). Djokovic earned sweet revenge by overpowering the bruised Spanish soldier at Roland Garros 2023 in four sets. In the final of Wimbledon a month later, Carlos possibly clinched the match with the highest level of tennis that the pair produced.

Moving to 2024, Alcaraz and Djokovic were on collision course in the Wimbledon final yet again. On this occasion, the current World No. 3 dominated his counterpart from the back of the court. Yet again, ‘Nole’ got some glorious redemption in Paris – this time at the Olympics. Djokovic’s forehand masterclass earned him a 7-6(3) 7-6(2) win as well as the gold medal. This year, the Serb gave himself a two-match buffer in the duel by beating Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the Australian Open quarterfinal.

Will Carlos Alcaraz live up to the expectations and potentially match the paramountcy of the Big-3? If his Netflix documentary is anything to go by, the Spaniard will carve his own path without putting any pressure of comparison on himself!

ATP

Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic

Paris Olympics

Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer

Roland Garros

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Wimbledon

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.