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Djokovic spoke about his upcoming encounter against Alcaraz at the presser and drew parallels between the 21-year-old sensation and legendary Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz.
Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic breezed into the quarterfinal of the 2025 edition of the Grand Slam event on Sunday with a win over Jiri Lehecka in the fourth-round encounter between the Serb and the Czech to set up an enticing last-eight meet with Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic registered a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) triumph over Lehecka, while Alcaraz booked his berth in the quarters following Brit Jack Draper’s withdrawal midway through the game with the Spaniard leading 7-5, 6-1.
Djokovic, who refused to do a on-court TV interview with Channel 9 over insulting comments from an employee, spoke about the exciting encounter against Alcaraz at the presser.
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“We had some long battles, long exchanges,” Djokovic began.
The Serbinator drew parallels between Alcaraz and legendary Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal.
“The kind of matches that I played against him reminds me of my match-ups versus Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court,” the Serb added.
“He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.
“Great to watch — not that great to play against,” he jested.
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Alcaraz lauded the fitness of Djokovic, who seems to be coming into his own with each passing round at the hard-court major and opined that fixtures against the Serb would always be a challenge.
“When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again it’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape,” said Alcaraz.
“I’m just ready and I know what I have to do in the quarter-finals,” the 21-year-old continued.
“Physically, I’m feeling great. So coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it is important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher,” the Spaniard concluded.
