"Carlos Alcaraz ain't a street fighter" - John McEnroe's brother Patrick makes his feelings known on Novak Djokovic's Australian Open QF win

John McEnroe's brother, Patrick, recently weighed in on Carlos Alcaraz after the latter's Australian Open quarterfinal loss against Novak Djokovic. The 58-year-old stated that while Alcaraz is exceptional, he isn’t a "street fighter" yet.

Alcaraz, who had his sights set on achieving a career Grand Slam, saw his run cut short by Djokovic on Wednesday morning under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic, aiming for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title, defeated the Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to secure his place in the semifinals for the 12th time in his career.

After the thrilling four-set encounter Patrick McEnroe, took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the Serb's victory over Carlos Alcaraz. He described Alcaraz as a special talent and entertainer but added that the 21-year-old has yet to develop the tough fighting spirit that Djokovic is renowned for.

“And somehow, some way , Novak does it….again. Holding off Carlos in 4 enthralling sets @AustralianOpen. Carlos is a generational talent, a show man, a shot maker. But he ain’t a street fighter….at least not yet. Good night/morning from Melbourne,” Patrick McEnroe said.

Alcaraz began his campaign by defeating Alexander Shevchenko, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Nuno Borges in the first three rounds. In the fourth round, he advanced via a walkover after Jack Draper sustained an injury. He then faced the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the quarterfinals. This is the fourth time Alcaraz has competed in the Australian Open and the second time he has reached the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the 12th Australian Open semi-final of his career

2025 Australian Open Previews - Source: Getty

After his victory over Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the semifinal of the 2025 Australian Open on Friday (January 24).

The 37-year-old began his 2025 season at the Brisbane International but was knocked out by Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinal. At the Australian Open, he defeated Nishesh Basavareddy, Jaime Faria, Tomas Machac, and Jiri Lehecka in the earlier rounds before edging out Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

Zverev, on the other hand, opted to start his 2025 season by representing Germany at the United Cup, where they were defeated in the quarterfinals by Kazakhstan. This is the tenth time Zverev has competed at the Australian Open, and he has now reached back-to-back semifinals, including last season. It also marks his third semifinal appearance at the tournament.

En route to the semifinal, Zverev defeated Lucas Pouille, Pedro Martínez, Jacob Fearnley, Ugo Humbert, and Tommy Paul. Djokovic and Zverev have faced off 12 times on the ATP Tour, with the Serb leading their head-to-head 8-4. They previously crossed paths at the 2021 Australian Open quarterfinals, where the World No. 7 outclassed him.