"Novak Djokovic is not your friend"; "Stay away from him" - Fans joke about Carlos Alcaraz's relationship with Serb after Australian Open showdown

Fans reacted with a blend of humor and protectiveness to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's interaction after their "epic" Australian Open showdown. Djokovic got the better of Alcaraz in four sets to advance to the semifinals in Melbourne.

On Tuesday, January 21, Djokovic and Alcaraz faced off in a highly anticipated clash at the Rod Laver Arena. The Spaniard came out strong, breaking Djokovic’s serve to take a 5-3 lead and serve for the opening set. The 37-year-old appeared to be in trouble, struggling with an injury that prompted a medical timeout (MTO).

Despite the MTO, Alcaraz held his composure to close out the first set 6-4. However, the momentum shifted dramatically afterward. The young Spaniard faltered as Djokovic raised his level, breaking Alcaraz’s serve multiple times. The 24-time Grand Slam champion went on to win the next three sets, sealing the match with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

After his exit from the Melbourne Slam, Alcaraz took to Instagram to reflect on his journey. He captioned the post:

"I fought to the end, but it wasn’t meant to be 🥲 Congratulations @djokernole for winning a great battle out there yesterday! See you next year Melbourne! 👋🏻 Thank you for the support ❤️"

Djokovic commented on the post and praised his young rival, writing:

"Gracias 🙏🏼 Carlitos. Another epic battle. You’re a warrior 💪"

This interaction was posted on X and many fans jokingly advised Alcaraz to distance himself from the Serb.

"😂 just stay away from him," one fan wrote.

"He is no longer a father, we have broken off family relations🙅🏻🙂‍↔️" another fan wrote.

"omg carlos, f**k him. He is NOT your friend," a third fan wrote.

Here are some more humorous fan reactions to the interaction.

"Don't speak to him ever weirdo 😭" one fan wrote.

"Uncle is not being nice," another fan wrote.

"That's his estranged father 😂😂" yet another fan wrote.

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Novak Djokovic has kind words for Carlos Alcaraz after Australian Open 2025 QF clash

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

During the post-match on-court interview Novak Djokovic took time to praise his young opponent Carlos Alcaraz. The Serb mentioned the 21-year-old's achievements and claimed that the tennis world was going to see a lot more of him.

"First, I wanna say, my utmost, respect and admiration for Carlos and everything, he stands for and what he has achieved so far in his young career," the Serb said.

"What a terrific guy he is and even better competitor, youngest ever#1 in the world, in the history of our sport, 4 Grand Slams and I'm sure that we're going to see a lot of him," he added.

Djokovic is chasing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and a historic 25th Grand Slam crown in Melbourne. His next challenge is a semifinal showdown against World No. 2 Alexander Zverev.

However, concerns about the Serb's fitness have surfaced after he reportedly canceled practice sessions ahead of the match. Fans remain hopeful that he will be in peak form for the highly anticipated clash on Friday, January 24.