Novak Djokovic is in an ice bath, along with Kevin Hart. Sounds outlandish? Not at all, as the 24-time Major champion joined the famous comedian on a show along with Marcello Hernandez. Knee-deep in ice water in a tub, Nole was quite forthcoming with his answers as the Serb talked about how the next-generation stars, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, resembled him in terms of game style, which got a nod from the fans as well.

“Look I think for anybody that follows tennis, Sinner and Alcaraz, you guys know how they play, right? You know their styles? Who do they resemble?” said Djokovic while appearing on the Netflix show, Cold as Balls. “So for me that’s the greatest compliment, If I was able to create an impact, I’m happy because that’s the whole point.”

Creating impact is an understatement, as Djokovic redefined the sport in a lot of ways, especially in terms of court coverage. Earlier players were often categorized as one-surface specialists, where the degree of movement on the three surfaces of hard, clay, and grass was considered a major differentiator. Djokovic was one of the first players to use body flexibility to slide even on hard courts and showed the world that it was possible to hit strong groundstrokes from open stances while on the run.

Even though Sinner and Alcaraz were his competitors, Djokovic was always open to sharing information with them and their teams. After the Serb had bested Sinner in a five-set battle at Wimbledon in 2022, he was not shy in sharing some pointers with the Italian’s coach, Darren Cahill. The Serb talked about vulnerabilities in Sinner’s game, particularly in shot variation and court movement, which the current World No.1 incorporated into his game to become the dominant force he is.

Even Alcaraz was seen adopting a serving style similar to Djokovic’s to ensure ease of movement while delivering accurate serves. During his run to the Australian Open title this year, the Spaniard talked about how he found Djokovic’s serving style impressive, with a greater focus on accuracy than on huge speed. Even though the similarities between the Serb and his newly modeled action were incidental, the two had fun banter throughout the tournament, with Djokovic jokingly asking for a percentage of Alcaraz’s prize money for using his serving style.

Given what he has achieved on the court, it is not surprising that some of the top players have tried to model their games after Djokovic, and some fans agree with the Serb’s view that Sinner and Alcaraz resemble him.

Fans Agree With Novak Djokovic’s Perspective of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Resemblance

Fans were on board with Djokovic’s statements that Sinner and Alcaraz resemble his all-court, all-surface style.

“A lot of people in the comments that don’t watch tennis are clueless that the kind of all-court tennis Djokovic plays is exactly how Alcaraz and Sinner modeled their games. Their coaches were out there videotaping Djokovic practices when they were younger and would even ask him for advice on how they could play better after they lost to him early in their careers.” said one fan.

Another fan echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Sinner plays like Novak. Sinner’s coach asked Novak for tips which he didn’t have to give but he did. After that, Sinner became a powerhouse that he is today. Alcaraz fixed his serve and his new serves is so identical to Novak’s that they joked about paying him some royalties in the interviews.”

Another fan pointed out the double-handed backhands of Sinner and Alcaraz and their ability to hit the shot from an open stance from the corners of the court, something which is Nole’s signature move.

“The sliding, open stance, two-handed backhand is Nole’s signature and both Sinner and Alco have that one in spades,” said the fan.

Some fans pointed out that while Sinner was an ideal match for Djokovic, Alcaraz was more like Nadal and Federer, with his serve as the only similarity to Nole’s.

“I mean Sinner yes but the only thing Carlos currently has is the serve that’s similar, he’s majority a mix of Federer and Nadal with his own flair added to the mix”, said one fan, while another said, “For me, sinner n jodar yes..but carlos more to Rafael Nadal.”

Given Alcaraz’s attacking quality and his use of creative dropshots and lobs, fans are not wrong to draw similarities to Federer. Sinner, on the other hand, is almost a younger version of Nole himself, with his baseline game and accurate yet powerful groundstrokes. However, when pointing out the strengths of Alcaraz and Sinner, one can only imagine the challenge the Serb faces if he hopes to win another Major.