Djokovic: "Alcaraz is so good that he can win any tournament he enters"

Pedro de Pablos | 8 Mar 2026 | 07.37

Djokovic: "Alcaraz is so good that he can win any tournament he participates in"

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Novak Djokovic has returned to the circuit at the Indian Wells 2026 Masters 1000 with a hard-fought victory over Kamil Majchrzak, extending his great form after reaching the final of the Australian Open a few weeks ago. Following his win against the Polish player, the former world number one attended a press conference to share his feelings and praise the figure of Carlos Alcaraz.

Beyond the rivalry they may have on the court, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic maintain a good relationship in their daily lives, as seen whenever they meet at tournaments where they coincide. The Spanish player aims to break Djokovic's 41-0 streak from early 2011, something the Serbian considers positive for tennis. Furthermore, Nole discussed what it means to him to attend tournaments without a main coach and how he is approaching the final stretch of his career.

Debut at Indian Wells 2026

"It's good to be back on the tour. After five weeks without official matches, I knew the first match after such a long time would be a bit challenging, with quite difficult conditions as well. I managed to recover after losing the first set and didn't look back in the second. I felt I had to bring out my best game when I needed it the most, especially at the beginning of the third, and I did. So, I'm happy I could close it out the way I did. You can always view things positively or negatively. There are areas to work on. I like how I fought and held on. So, I'm looking forward to the next match."

Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

"It would be nice, it's one of the long-term goals. I've mentioned it a couple of times over the past year. You know, there's still a long way to go. I think at my age and at this stage of my career, every year seems longer than for someone younger. But I'll try to achieve it, it's definitely one of my motivations, so I'll try to be there."

Playing without a main coach

"Well, Boris was with me. He has been an assistant coach and analyst. Obviously, he's performing the role of tennis coach, but right now I don't have anyone I can call my main tennis coach, and I'm fine with it. I feel I have what I need. I don't think I'm ready at the moment, at this stage of my career, to bring in someone entirely new and go through the same process of getting to know each other, which doesn't mean I'm not trying to improve my game or innovate and seek ways to improve on and off the court.

I'm doing it. In the off-season, I brought in different people and spent several weeks analyzing and, in a way, dismantling and reconstructing my game, to the extent that the time I had allowed. I think it's been worthwhile. I had a great tournament in Australia, beating Sinner in a five-set match that went on until late at night and then taking Carlos to a tough four-set match. It took me a couple of years to beat either of those two players. I mean, years, I beat Carlos at the 2025 Australian Open, but I haven't had many wins against him in Grand Slams in recent years. It was a great way to see that I can still beat them and that I can still do it, you know, at the highest level. It was great."

Record of 41 Consecutive Victories in 2011 and the Possibility of Alcaraz Breaking It

"He can do it. He has everything needed in terms of game, adaptability to different surfaces, and the level of fitness and recovery he has shown and matured over the years. He needs to keep his body healthy. If he keeps his body healthy, he is so good that he can win any tournament he participates in. He has achieved historic things in our sport despite his youth. But yes, winning more than 40 matches, and I've had other streaks, at the beginning of different seasons where I won more than 25, I think twice, is very demanding.

But, at the same time, when you're winning that much and you're in that streak, you don't want to let it slip away. You want to keep that streak going for as long as you can because your confidence level is very high, and obviously, when you lose for the first time, it affects you a bit. But as long as you keep winning, you feel that each match makes you stronger, in a way, if I can reflect or remember what I felt at that time. I wish him many more victories. I think it's fantastic for our sport, and what he's been doing is extraordinary."

Monfils' Retirement in 2026

"One of the few guys who is older than me on the circuit (smiles), along with Wawrinka. He deserves all the applause and recognition, not only for what they've done on the tennis court and for his extraordinary athletic ability. He's one of the most athletic tennis players who have ever wielded a racket and one of the most exciting players to watch. I've always loved him; I don't think there's anyone who doesn't enjoy watching Monfils play because you never know what to expect. I think that's what has generated so much interest and also so many smiles from people when they watch him play.

But also his character traits and values. He's a very nice guy, and literally, I don't know anyone in the last 20 years who has had anything negative or any kind of conflict with him. That says a lot about him, about how he is as a person, and he has always had huge respect from all his fellow tennis players. Everyone loves him. He deserves to play this year as he wants and retire from tennis and bid farewell the way he deems appropriate. I hope the public gives him the support he deserves at every tournament."

Preparing for Five-Set Matches

"It's like preparing for something entirely different, a whole different tour, a different physical and mental preparation. Because some matches can last three, four, five, six hours. And I played the longest Grand Slam final in history. I was part of it with Nadal in 2012, it lasted almost six hours in Australia. It was exhausting. I mean, incredibly exhausting and demanding, and I recently played with Jannik, I don't know how long it lasted, almost four and a half hours, almost five hours in Australia.

In 2012, my body recovered much faster than it does today after a marathon, after such long matches. Yes, you have a day between matches in the Grand Slams, but when you have such a match, that is, four, five hours or more, your physical condition suffers greatly. It's very difficult to recover and be ready for the next challenge. You may play well in the next match, but the further you advance in the tournament, the more physically exhausted you are. That's the most important thing. Obviously, also mentally, of course. But physically, it's something completely different, so to speak, from what you face in Grand Slams compared to anything else we have on the circuit."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic: "Alcaraz es tan bueno que puede ganar cualquier torneo en el que participe"