"A freaking nightmare" - Serena Williams' ex-coach on Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz potential Australian Open QF

Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, gave her thoughts on the potential quarterfinal match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open. Both players have won their first-round matches at the Grand Slam tournament and have secured their spots in the second round.

Djokovic entered the Melbourne Major following a quarterfinal run at the 2025 Brisbane International. He is seeded seventh in Melbourne and kicked off his campaign by defeating Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 58 minutes in the first round.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz entered the Australian Open without participating in any preparatory events, with his last competition being representing Spain at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. Seeded third at the Grand Slam, the Spaniard began his campaign by defeating Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-1.

Recently, while speaking on 'The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast,' former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic and Stubbs discussed the matches at the ongoing Australian Open. Petkovic mentioned the potential Djokovic-Alcaraz showdown in the quarterfinals, anticipating that the match-up will be a "tough" one.

“I mean this is tough. So the quarterfinals for Novak would be Carlos Alcaraz and then [Alexander] Zverev's in the bottom. If they get through they will play each other in the quarters,” Petkovic said (25:17).

Rennae Stubbs chimed in and opined that the potential clash between the Serb and the Spaniard will be a "freaking nightmare."

“That’s a nightmare. I hadn’t looked at the draw again. I wasn't 100% sure but that’s a freaking nightmare,” Stubbs added.

Novak Djokovic will next face qualifier Jaime Faria in the second round, which will also be their first meeting on the ATP Tour. The winner will advance to face either Reilly Opelka or the 26th seed Tomas Machac.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round, with the victor moving on to face either the 27th seed Jordan Thompson or Nuno Borges.

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A look into Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz's h2h record before potential Australian Open QF meeting

Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships [Image Source: Getty Images]

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have faced each other seven times on the ATP Tour, with the Serb emerging victorious in four of those matches. They have met thrice at the Grand Slam stage with the first encounter being the semifinal match of the 2023 French Open, which Djokovic won 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

Both the players' next two meetings at a Grand Slam tournament occurred in the finals of the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where Alcaraz triumphed over Djokovic to win the titles.

The most recent encounter between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz took place in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 24-time Grand Slam champion emerged victorious, defeating the Spaniard 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to clinch the gold medal. This marked Djokovic's second Olympic medal, with his first being a bronze, which he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.