Novak Djokovic is one of tennis’ most successful and influential figures in the sport’s vast and illustrious history.
And, despite his recent form faltering, he continues to only add to his legacy by remaining so competitive even at his current age.
At 39 years old, his greatest and closest rivals nowadays are nearly half his age; and yet, he boasts a win over Jannik Sinner in 2026, and ran Carlos Alcaraz close in the subsequent Australian Open final too.
However, it is his latest comments about these two young superstars that have now drawn scrutiny, with Djokovic coming under fire in relation to the Spaniard in particular.
Novak Djokovic under fire for comparing himself to Carlos Alcaraz
After all, speaking with Kevin Hart in a snippet released from his podcast, Djokovic claimed that Alcaraz and Sinner had copied his play style, citing his influence on the sport as a reason why they play the way they do.
He was not speaking in a way to discredit them, but to outline how proud he is of his legacy within tennis.
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However, whilst the Sinner comparison is justifiable, the Carlos Alcaraz one has drawn criticism.
One fan took to X to write: “I’m genuinely lost for words at this point. I’m being totally serious here. I don’t know what to say.
Another then explained how the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal comparison made sense for Alcaraz, but not Novak Djokovic: “Out of the big 3, Alcaraz least resembles Djokovic’s playing style. He’s a hybrid of Nadal, with his running and power, and Federer with his attacking style and artistry on-court. The fact that Djokovic thinks otherwise is surprising.”
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