Carlos Alcaraz Says “I Have the Contract” After Novak Djokovic’s Pay Claim at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz entered the 2026 season with a revamped serve motion, and it’s worked wonders. The World No. 1 has cruised into the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time, averaging 70 percent on first serves and winning 68 percent of points on his second against Tommy Paul in the fourth round. But the new motion caught glimpses of the Serbian legend’s style, though Alcaraz makes light of the revelation.

After his 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5 win over Paul, Alcaraz was asked about his thoughts on his new serve resembling that of Novak Djokovic‘s. He admitted to it with a little lighthearted humor in his post-match interview with Jim.

“Yeah, I heard that. I have the contract over there,” Carlos Alcaraz said, “But I haven’t seen him yet. It was funny because it was in the pre-season, and somebody came up with the movement. So, I wasn’t aware that it was really similar to Nole’s serve. But I just woke up one day, and I took out my phone. I had a Djokovic message: “Alright, you have to pay me for the serve.”

When Courier asked him, “He sent you a message directly?” Carlos admitted, “Yeah, he sent a message. So, it was fun, I mean, these kinds of things in the locker room, I think, are fine with another player.”

Previously, after the opening round at the Australian Open, Djokovic was asked about the similarity in the Spaniard’s new serve. He couldn’t resist joking about it.

“As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message. I said, we have to speak about the copyrights,” Nole said at the press-conferece. “Then when I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about percentage of his winnings. Every ace I expect, you know, a tribute to me. Every ace that he makes here. Let’s see if he’s going to stick to the agreement.”

This is a developing story…

The post Carlos Alcaraz Says “I Have the Contract” After Novak Djokovic’s Pay Claim at the Australian Open appeared first on EssentiallySports.