Djokovic: Alcaraz Can Break My Record Run

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 7, 2026
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

INDIAN WELLS—Novak Djokovic grew up skiing down mountains.

The Grand Slam king knows all about riding winning waves, too.

In his first match since bowing to Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling Australian Open final, Djokovic shook off the rust repelling 57th-ranked Kamil Majchrzak 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in his BNP Paribas Open opener.

World No. 1 Alcaraz followed Djokovic on Stadium 1 and defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 to post his 13th consecutive victory.

Fifteen years ago, Djokovic set the gold standard streak winning 41 consecutive matches in a superlative season that saw him capture the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion. Roger Federer denied Djokovic a shot at the calendar Grand Slam winning their 2011 Roland Garros semifinal to finally snap the Serbian’s 41-match winning streak.

Asked in his presser tonight if Alcaraz can match or exceed the magic 41 in a row, Djokovic said amassing a streak that long is demanding, but the Spanish superstar has the skills to do it if he can stay healthy.

“He can do it. He has everything that you need to have in terms of the game, in terms of the adaptability to different surfaces, and level of fitness and recovery that he has shown and matured over the years,” Djokovic said of Alcaraz. “He needs to keep his body healthy. If he keeps his body healthy, I mean, he’s so good that he can win any tournament he plays on.

“So you never know. He’s been doing some historic things in our sport for such a young age. But yeah, I mean, winning 40-plus matches, and I have had a couple other runs, as well, at the beginning of different seasons where I had 25-plus, I think, twice, it’s demanding.”

The 22-year-old Alcaraz made history in Melbourne becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam. While Alcaraz takes aim at the calendar Slam this season, he said his winning run has given him even more respect for Djokovic’s massive 41-consecutive win streak.

“Obviously I know that 41, Novak holds the record. I’m gonna say you don’t realize
how difficult it is until you, I’m gonna say, you’re chasing that, because, you know, all right, 41, it’s not that much, but then you’re like 12 on, it’s like, shit, it’s like four or five more tournaments, the biggest tournaments in the world,” Alcaraz said. “You realize and you feel like how impressive it
is.

“You know, I just really proud about my start of the year. Hopefully the winning streak continues or I would try that, but I just happy to see myself playing great tennis.”

A fascinating aspect of Djokovic’s record run is it came less than a year after a Masters low. In 2010, Djokovic lost to Ivan Ljubicic in the Indian Wells fourth round then fell to Olivier Rochus in the Miami Opener prompting skeptics to question if he had the game and fortitude to bounce back.

A year later, Djokovic delivered a dynamic run that was even more empowering as it progressed.

“at the same time, it feels when you are winning so much and you’re riding that wave, you know,
you don’t want to let go of that wave,” Djokovic said tonight. “You want to surf on that wave as long as you can, because the level of confidence is really high, and obviously when you lose first time, that is a bit shaken up.

“But as long as you’re winning, you feel like each match you feel stronger, in a sense, if I can reflect or recall my feelings that I had during that time. Yeah, I wish him many more victories. I think he’s great for
our sport, and what he’s been doing is remarkable.”