Carlos Alcaraz regards Rafael Nadal as his childhood idol, but he acknowledges Novak Djokovic as the greatest male tennis player in history based on statistics.
Alcaraz addressed the ongoing tennis debate during promotional media activities ahead of the Laver Cup in September 2026.
“Para mí Nadal era un referente cuando era niño, alguien a quien aspiraba a parecerme, pero en términos de números y lo que ha hecho en el tenis, no hay duda de que el GOAT es Djokovic porque lo ha ganado absolutamente todo, no una, sino dos veces,” Alcaraz said.
Djokovic holds the men’s record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles. His collection spans ten Australian Open titles, seven Wimbledon crowns, four US Open victories, and three Roland Garros trophies.
Nadal finished his career with 22 major titles, while Roger Federer earned 20. Djokovic stands alone among the historic trio by winning each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least twice.
Beyond Grand Slam victories, Djokovic accumulated 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles and seven ATP Finals championships. He secured the year-end world number one ranking in eight different seasons.
The Serbian star spent 428 total weeks atop the ATP rankings. His victory at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gave him a career Golden Slam, a final where Alcaraz finished as the runner-up.
Alcaraz and Djokovic faced each other ten times in official matches, splitting those encounters with five wins apiece. The young Spaniard also teamed up with Nadal in the doubles tournament at the Paris Olympics, reaching the quarterfinal round.
Following a semifinal victory against Djokovic at the 2025 US Open, Alcaraz praised his opponent’s overall impact on the sport.
“La leyenda que es Novak ahora mismo, todo lo que ha hecho, todos los récords que ha batido. Todo el mundo lo ve y es digno de admirar,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz emphasized that Djokovic’s conduct away from the court deserves as much recognition as his athletic records. He highlighted the support the veteran offers to younger competitors.
“Pero, sobre todo, lo que es digno de admirar es cómo es fuera de pista. El detrás de cámaras es lo que la gente no conoce. Djokovic es una persona maravillosa, siempre está para ayudar, para los más jóvenes, para todo el mundo,” Alcaraz said.
The dynamic between the two players shifted on the court during the 2026 Australian Open final. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in that championship match to claim his fourth major title and complete a career Grand Slam.
Following that final, Djokovic described Alcaraz’s career milestone in complimentary terms. He called the achievement historical and legendary.
At 39 years old, Djokovic remains the sole active member of the original Big Three. He addressed his eventual retirement during interviews connected to the 2026 season.
“El momento se acerca, no hay duda, está más cerca que nunca,” Djokovic said, though he has not yet specified a retirement date.
Worth a look
