The 2026 Australian Open wasn’t meant to be for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian legend gave it everything, finally reaching his first major final since Wimbledon 2024. Yet Carlos Alcaraz proved to be the tougher opponent on the big day. The hunt for Grand Slam No. 25 goes on. Nole himself isn’t losing sleep over it, but his fans sure are. Even Andy Roddick jumped in with his take, saying the loss should be called what it is.

After the Slam wrapped up, Roddick broke it down on his “Served” podcast. It was a tough pill for many Nole fans (or the Nolefam, as they proudly call themselves) to swallow. They weren’t too thrilled when the 2003 US Open champion called the defeat an “upset.”

“Credit to Carlos, because step one of Novak trying to pull off,” he explained. “I say this upset just because, on this specific day, I see all you guys going, ‘He’s 24, how dare you call it an upset.’ Right now, on this specific day, that would have been an upset, and that’s okay to say, right?”

“I think Carlos was the favorite going into this match. But on this day, he had to come out and win that first set and kind of get inside of Carlos a little bit. Credit to Carlos, right? Three or four years ago, does he steady?”

The former World No. 1 has a solid point. Djokovic had roaring support across the globe and in the stands at Rod Laver Arena, but Alcaraz had his own army behind him too. It was a massive day for the Spaniard. Not only did he get past the quarterfinals for the first time on his least-favored surface, he also reached the final and played for a Career Slam.

Going into the match, Novak led their head-to-head 5-4. He’d taken down Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals in a fierce four-set showdown to reach the semis. But Alcaraz has leveled up since. He has now beaten Djokovic in their last two encounters, this one and the 2025 US Open semifinals.

“Two years ago, at the Aussie Open, once Novak started gaining on him, you could see he was a little bit uncomfortable. Steadying the ship, like, ‘I know you’ve done it 24 times, but at least up until this match, I’ve done it six times in a pretty short amount of time.’ He’s getting to that point where he’s going to get settled.” Andy added.

Still, Djokovic didn’t go down easy. He grabbed the first set 6-4 before Alcaraz hit back with smart, fearless tactics. The young Spaniard made history, becoming the youngest player ever to complete a Career Slam at just 22. Still, Carlos had only praise for the Serb after the match.

Novak Djokovic’s opponent hails his tenacity

Alcaraz couldn’t hide his admiration after the final. In his post-match press conference, he hailed Novak Djokovic’s lasting brilliance. The young Spaniard made it clear that Djokovic’s relentless drive continues to push boundaries in the sport.

“What he’s doing is inspiring for all athletes,” He told the press, “He’s putting his body, his mind, his life into playing the final of a Grand Slam again… Going against every person saying he wasn’t going to play another Grand Slam final, or that he wasn’t going to beat Jannik or myself… then he comes and plays such great tennis, beating Jannik in the semifinals. Here in the final he played such great tennis. It’s unbelievable what he’s doing.”

At 38, Novak Djokovic didn’t leave Melbourne empty-handed either. The ATP website named him among its “movers of the week” on Monday, February 2. He made yet another deep run, reaching his 38th major final at the Australian Open, although he narrowly missed out on a record-extending 25th Grand Slam and an 11th crown in Melbourne.

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The world watched him pull off a masterclass in the semifinals, defeating Jannik Sinner to mark his first Slam final appearance since Wimbledon 2024, where he had also faced Alcaraz. At 38, the Serbian champion is back inside the Top 3 in the ATP Rankings for the first time since August 2024.

As for what’s next, Djokovic isn’t stepping away anytime soon. With the season only just beginning and three more Grand Slams ahead, his hunger for another major title burns bright. Tennis fans will be eager to see how he responds in the next one. What do you think? Does Novak have another epic comeback in store? Share your thoughts in the comments below!