NOVAK DJOKOVIC JOKINGLY DEMANDS "COPYRIGHT" ROYALTIES FOR CARLOS ALCARAZ’S NEW SERVE
Carlos Alcaraz's new serve motion has the tennis world talking. Discover the "copyright" deal Djokovic proposed at the AO 2026.
Some fans have a knack for picking up on the smallest details, and they didn’t miss the change in Carlos Alcaraz’s serve at the Australian Open. His new motion looked a lot like Novak Djokovic’s, and Djokovic definitely noticed.
People couldn’t stop talking about Alcaraz’s tweaks. The guy’s already a six-time Grand Slam winner, and here he was, breezing through his first match against Adam Walton—straight sets, no drama. Right after, reporters jumped on the similarities between his serve and Djokovic’s.
Alcaraz just grinned. “You wanted to say it’s really similar to Djokovic, right?” he joked. “I get it. Honestly, everyone needs to make changes, just a few little details here and there. For me, serving is something I keep trying to improve—every year, every tournament. I’m always working on it, changing things up, even when nobody’s telling me to. This time, I adjusted my motion a bit, and now it just feels smooth and calm—like I’ve found a good rhythm. It’s helping. Who knows, you’ll probably see me change it again.”
Of course, Djokovic had to chime in. His own serve has changed a lot over the years, especially since 2018, when he shook things up with a new, shorter backswing. That move helped him rack up another 11 slams. “As soon as I saw Carlos’s serve, I messaged him,” Djokovic said, half-joking. “I told him we need to talk about copyrights. Then I told him face-to-face that he owes me a cut of his winnings for every ace he hits. Let’s see if he sticks to our deal.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the tournament, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the clear favourites in Melbourne. Together, they’ve claimed the last eight Grand Slam titles. The only person to break their streak? Djokovic, who won the 2023 US Open.
Now, Djokovic is chasing a 25th major title, hoping to finally outrun Margaret Court and hold the record for singles slams. He started strong, cruising past Pedro Martinez for his 100th Australian Open match win.
But can he still win it all? John McEnroe didn’t sound convinced. “Honestly, no,” he told TNT Sports. “I don’t think he can beat both Alcaraz and Sinner after already playing five matches. That’s just the reality. People wonder why he keeps going when he hasn’t won for a bit, but why not? He’s still ranked No. 3 in the world, made four semis last year, and even beat Alcaraz here. He must believe he can still do it—otherwise, he wouldn’t bother coming back. But it’s definitely getting harder.”
HISTORY ON LINE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEGINS INDIAN WELLS RUN TO SNATCH FEDERER’S TITLE RECORD
Is Djokovic the GOAT? Discover how Novak plans to break Roger Federer’s Indian Wells title record in the 2026 California desert.
Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 17th run at Indian Wells, chasing a sixth Masters title in California. The draw hasn’t done him any favours, but plenty of experts still see him as a real threat to win it all.
He’s coming in hot, too. Djokovic kicked off the season by making it to the Australian Open final, only falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the very end.
There’s even more at stake this year. If Djokovic lifts the trophy at Indian Wells, he breaks a tournament record that Roger Federer currently shares with him.
Now, Federer’s name is all over the Indian Wells record books. Even after retiring in 2022, he still holds eight records there. You see his name next to most finals played, most matches played and won, and the most editions entered.
Right now, Federer and Djokovic are tied for most titles at Indian Wells, each with five. They also share a couple of other records, but this year, Djokovic has a shot at pulling ahead. If he wins, he grabs that title record outright, which would leave Federer with seven Indian Wells records to himself.
When it comes to head-to-head battles at Indian Wells, Djokovic has always had Federer’s number. They’ve faced off three times on those courts, and Djokovic came out on top every single time.
Here’s how some of the big records at Indian Wells stack up:
Most titles: Djokovic 5, Federer 5
Most finals: Federer 9
Most consecutive titles: Federer (2004–2006) and Djokovic (2014–2016), both with 3.
Most consecutive finals: Federer (two separate runs of 3), Djokovic (2014–2016)
Most matches played: Federer 79
Most matches won: Federer 66
Most consecutive matches won: Djokovic: 19
Most editions played: Federer 18.
Oldest champion: Federer (35 years, 7 months, 11 days in 2017)
So, while Federer still dominates the record books, Djokovic has a real chance to add another chapter to the rivalry and maybe take home another record for himself.
THE 3.3.26 DATE: UNEARTHING THE ROMANTIC DETAILS BEHIND ARYNA SABALENKA’S PROPOSAL IN CALIFORNIA
Aryna Sabalenka is engaged: Read about the 3.3.26 proposal to Georgios Frangulis and the reactions from Gauff, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are just a couple of the tennis stars who rushed to celebrate Aryna Sabalenka’s big news: she’s engaged to Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka dropped the announcement on social media right before kicking off her run at Indian Wells. As the world number one, she’ll jump straight into the second round, waiting to face either Alycia Parks or Himeno Sakatsume. But honestly, her focus seems split lately, and who can blame her? Off the court, she’s soaking up all the love and congratulations pouring in from fellow players.
She posted a video of the proposal on Instagram, adding a simple, sweet caption: “You & me, forever, 3.3.26.” Coco Gauff chimed in with a quick "Congratulations", and Alcaraz went all out with a stretched-out “Congratulatiooooons!” Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova also sent their best, and even Novak Djokovic shared some love. Sabalenka’s close friend Paula Badosa joined in, and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn couldn’t resist commenting either.
Now, with all the excitement swirling around her engagement, you have to wonder, can Sabalenka keep her head in the game at Indian Wells? Wedding plans are probably swirling in her mind, but if history tells us anything, it’s that Sabalenka knows how to lock in when it matters. Her serve is as deadly as ever, and she’s already put together an 11-1 win-loss record this season, with two finals under her belt.
She kicked things off with a title in Brisbane, then hit a snag in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. No doubt, she’s itching to get back to her winning ways in California. The hard courts there play right into her strengths, and all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface. Plus, she’s been a finalist at Indian Wells twice, so she’s got plenty of motivation to finally go all the way.
The field is stacked, so it won’t be easy. But honestly, if anyone’s primed for a breakthrough at Indian Wells, it’s Sabalenka.
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