How Much Older Is Novak Djokovic Than Carlos Alcaraz?
Some of the biggest names in tennis today are Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz, and one of the all-time GOATs Novak Djokovic. In 2023 and 2024, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic at the Wimbledon finals, while the Serbian star beat out the Spanish player for the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Alcaraz had never beaten Djokovic on the hard courts, so there was plenty of excitement when the two met at the 2025 US Open after Djokovic defeated Fritz in the quarterfinals. The man, who was once the youngest player to reach the semifinals of all four Slams, had become the oldest player to reach the semifinals of all four Slams.
Here’s more about Djokovic and Alcaraz, including how much older the 24-time Grand Slam champion is than the five-time Grand Slam champ.
Carlos Alcaraz’s age and career so far
Alcaraz was born in El Palmar, Murcia, Spain, to parents Carlos Alcaraz González and Virginia Garfia Escandón on May 5, 2003. He has one older brother, Álvaro, and two younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime.
His father was a tennis player who introduced his son to the sport when he was just 4 years old.
Alcaraz showed immense talent and turned professional in 2018 at the age of 14. When he was 19, he became the youngest male player to reach the No. 1 ranking in ATP Tour history. In addition, he’s won several ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, becoming one of the youngest players to achieve that.
So far in his career, Alcaraz has won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, as well as five major titles: two at the French Open, two at the Wimbledon Championships, and one at the US Open.
Novak Djokovic’s age and why he’s ‘divided’ about retiring from tennis
Djokovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, to parents Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan on May 22, 1987, making him 15 years older than Alcaraz. Djokovic has two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje, who have also played professional tennis.
Djokovic previously admitted he’s on the fence about when to retire from the sport, telling Tennis365: “I’m kind of divided … There’s always a part of me that is a young boy who just adores tennis and knows only about tennis and devoted his entire life to tennis and that boy still wants to keep going.
“On the other side, I am a father of two children. And I am away from my family. And every time I travel for extended periods of time, it breaks my heart. I’m still hungry, I still want to compete, I still can run for hours, thankfully, but it’s more of an emotional aspect.”
When asked if he thought he could beat Alcaraz or Sinner in the finals, Djokovic explained: “When I’m in shape and able to play my best tennis, I still believe that I can beat both Alcaraz and Sinner. The most crucial thing is that I need to make a great effort, work very hard, and take my body to the limit to have the opportunity to face them. It is a somewhat unfair battle because their youth and current superiority allows them to arrive in full condition, while I am already with the tank half empty.
“That’s biology. It could be said that it benefits me to play in the semifinals with Carlos instead of Jannik, at least, that’s what the latest results suggest. In any case, in Australia and London I arrived injured at the semifinal match and now I don’t. Each game is a different story. I know Alcaraz is the favorite. He is playing at an impressive level, but I hope to raise my level. These matches are what make me continue to compete. It is exciting to have the opportunity to beat the best currently.”
