Carlos Alcaraz Wants to Break This ‘Crazy’ Record Held by Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic withdrew from his third-place match against Taylor Fritz at the Six Kings Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz Wants to Break This ‘Crazy’ Record Held by Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Danny, The Tennis Letter)

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The famous record of Novak Djokovic is always at the back of Carlos Alcaraz‘s mind. If Alcaraz continues to win Majors at the same rate he is winning and at the same time keeps injuries at a distance, then he could end up breaking Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam title record.

But it’s not the only record Alcaraz wants to surpass. The 38-year-old has spent 428 weeks on top of the rankings, and Alcaraz is eyeing this record. At the Six Kings Slam (where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the final), the Spaniard told reporters about the two records the Serb holds that he intends to break.

There are a few [records] that I would love to break, obviously, the most Grand Slams; I think everybody wants to do that. Or having the most weeks at number one. I think that one from Djokovic is something crazy. I think it’s 400 and something. I think those two records could be fun to break. It is tough to say one.

At present, the 22-year-old is a six-time Grand Slam champion and is the second youngest man to reach that title tally after Bjorn Borg. Alcaraz has so far spent 42 weeks as a No.1 player.

He first reached the top of the rankings after winning his career’s first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open, but Djokovic dethroned him after his successful campaign in New York the following year. Alcaraz’s second US Open triumph took him to the No.1 spot once again. In the final, Alcaraz clinched a four-set win, stopping Sinner from defending the title and also snatching the No.1 ranking from the Italian.

Alcaraz lost the Six Kings Slam to Sinner, but it did not affect his rankings at all as the Riyadh event is not an ATP-sanctioned tournament. Had he won, Alcaraz would have taken home the $6 million prize money.

Tim Henman on when Novak Djokovic should retire from tennis

Novak Djokovic is a shadow of his former self, as at present, he is even struggling to play his early round matches. The fitness problems are to be blamed here.

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/NovakFanFan)

Djokovic suffered a leg problem while he was playing with Taylor Fritz in the third-place match of the Six Kings Slam and couldn’t continue after losing the first set. It was the second time this year that Djokovic retired mid-match (the first was in the Australian Open semifinals).

Djokovic has played every Major semifinal, and although injury was the reason behind his retirement in Melbourne, he lost to Jannik Sinner in the French Open and Wimbledon semifinals and to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. Former player Tim Henman, during an interview with Tennis365, suggested when Nole should hang up his racket.

What I always say about these great players is they should play as long as they want. If they are enjoying it, keep playing. It’s the best job in the world. You are a long-time retired. It will be interesting to see how Djokovic approaches 2026, what his schedule is like, and his level of play.

Because of his injury problems, it’s uncertain whether Djokovic will feature at the ATP 250 event in Athens, scheduled to start next month. The Geneva Open is the only title Djokovic has won this year.

Despite Djokovic’s defeat in Riyadh, he took home $1.5 million as the participation fee. Even before the Six Kings Slam, Djokovic was not at his best while he was chasing his record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title in Shanghai. En route to his defeat to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot, Djokovic threw up multiple times in the previous matches due to the extreme humidity.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Admits his 2025 Season has not Been Fully Satisfying