Novak Djokovic sends a word of warning to Carlos Alcaraz to 'think about history'

Novak Djokovic recently gave his opinion on Carlos Alcaraz's bid for greatness. The Serbian believes that while the young Spaniard has already shown plenty of promise at the age of 21, he may want to slow down before making high promises to himself.

Alcaraz enjoyed a remarkable season on the ATP Tour last year, winning four titles, including two at the French Open and Wimbledon. However, he fell two places from his world No. 1 ranking to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, raising concerns about his consistency.

Having said that, Alcaraz he didn't shy away from expressing his positive aspirations last year when he said he wanted to be “part of tennis history”. He also talked about the 24-time Major winner's career accolades as a benchmark.

“I know it's almost impossible to break Novak's records, but I'm playing tennis for myself, for joy and I want to do great things,” Carlos Alcaraz said last year (via BBC Sport). “I want to be part of tennis history.”

In this context, Novak Djokovic expressed his opinion about the Spaniard's ambitious attitude while speaking to GQ. The 37-year-old began by giving props to the world No. 3, predicting that he will likely complete the career Grand Slam at some point in his career.

However, he acknowledged at the same time that Alcaraz could no longer think about his place in tennis history.

“Carlos has done something that no one has done in history from such a young age. So the odds are with him. He will complete his (career) Slam very soon,” Novak Djokovic told GQ. “He's even said it himself, he wants to make history. He wants to be 'the best in history.' I respect that kind of mentality of, 'Hey, I think I've got the goods.' “.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic set to meet in 2025 Australian Open quarter-finals

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are set to renew their rivalry in 2025 Australian Open. The Spaniard and the Serbian are sharing the same quarter, so only one of them will reach the semi-finals in Melbourne.

Alcaraz will need to be at his best to overcome the 24-time Major winner if he is to face the round of 16. He trails Djokovic by a slim 3-4 margin in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour, giving the 37-year-old considerable odds of winning his next match.