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WHY NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS DEMANDING A "CUT" OF CARLOS ALCARAZ’S WINNINGS

Is Carlos Alcaraz copying Novak Djokovic? Discover the truth behind the "pay me" text and his quarterfinal vs Alex de Minaur.

Why Novak Djokovic is demanding a "cut" of Carlos Alcaraz’s winnings
Did Alcaraz intentionally copy Djokovic, or was it just a technical coincidence?

Carlos Alcaraz just keeps rolling at the Australian Open. He’s into the quarter-finals and hasn’t dropped a set yet—makes it look easy, honestly.

What’s standing out this year? His serve. It’s clearly sharper in Melbourne. People keep pointing out how much it’s changed—he really worked on it during the off-season, tweaking his motion to get more free points. And you can see the difference. Some even say it’s starting to look a lot like Novak Djokovic’s serve. Novak himself noticed and, of course, couldn’t resist turning it into a joke.

Djokovic’s got that sharp eye for details. He spotted the similarities and made a light-hearted crack about it, which everyone seemed to enjoy. Alcaraz took it in stride and just grinned. Turns out, the banter didn’t stop there. They kept it going privately, which only adds to the respect and chemistry building between them.

Funny thing is, Carlos says copying Novak wasn’t the plan at all. He’s just obsessed with finding new ways to improve, always adding to his game. The resemblance just happened.

Alcaraz even joked about having some “contract” from Novak for the serve—still unsigned, of course. But in all seriousness, his serve really does look smoother now. He’s only been broken five times in four matches, facing fourteen break points. That’s a clear sign: whatever he’s changed, it’s working.

He especially liked how he served against Tommy Paul. The numbers back him up, too. Whether or not Djokovic deserves a cut, the results speak for themselves.

Now, with a big quarter-final match against Alex de Minaur coming up, Alcaraz is locked in. He’s letting his tennis do the talking and leaving the jokes off the court.

“Yeah, I heard Novak’s comments. The contract’s right there, but I haven’t signed it yet,” Alcaraz laughed. “Honestly, I didn’t even realise my serve looked so much like his. Then one morning, I wake up, check my phone, and there’s a message from Djokovic: ‘You have to pay me for the serve before the final.’”

NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH

After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.

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Novak Djokovic loses first-ever Australian Open final to unstoppable Carlos Alcaraz

After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.

Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.

For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.

This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.

In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.

Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.

Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.

Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.

WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY

Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.

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Samuel Lopez is the perfect strategic fit for Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.

Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.

Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.

Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.

Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.

With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.

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