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Novak Djokovic makes ‘copyright’ claim on Carlos Alcaraz, wants 'tribute and Australian Open prize money slice'
Novak Djokovic not only contacted Carlos Alcaraz after coming across the video, but also met him later to discuss the “copyright” issue
Novak Djokovic on Monday jokingly accused Carlos Alcaraz of stealing his serve motion after claiming his 100th Australian Open win with a routine victory over Pedro Martinez at Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic, who was stopped in the semifinals of all four Grand Slams last year, relaunched his bid for an unprecedented 25th career major.
After the 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win that saw Djokovic advance to the second round, the Serb was asked about a viral clip highlighting the similarity between his and Alcaraz’s current serve motion. Djokovic quickly responded, saying that he not only contacted Alcaraz after coming across the video, but also met him later to discuss the “copyright” issue. He also jokingly told the Spaniard that he wants a slice of his Australian Open prize money and a tribute each time he hits an ace.
“I told him, ‘You know, we need to talk about copyright.’ And then when I saw him here, I told him we needed to talk about a percentage of his earnings. Every time he hits an ace, I expect a tribute to me. We’ll see if he honours the agreement,” Djokovic said.
Alcaraz, too, confirmed in his interaction with the media that he did see similarities between his serve motion and that of Djokovic, but revealed that he never intended to copy the Serb.
“You probably meant to say it’s very similar to Djokovic’s, right? I knew it… (laughs). Seriously, I don’t know. I think everyone has to make changes, adjust certain details. And for me, the serve is something I really want to improve. Every year, in every tournament, I put a lot of effort into my serve.
“I just slightly changed the motion, and I feel more comfortable this way. It’s more fluid, more relaxed and perfectly timed. It helps me serve much better. I didn’t think about copying Djokovic’s serve. But of course, I can see the similarities.”
Alcaraz, who claimed a straight-set win against Adam Walton on opening day, will be in action on Wednesday in his second-round match against Yannick Hanfmann.
