Novak Djokovic says what he thinks about Carlos Alcaraz and his coaching team ahead of the Madrid Open starting this year

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Novak Djokovic will be hoping for a better performances at the Madrid Open after a disappointing start to the clay court season.

Djokovic lost to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters, in his only match of the clay court season so far.

Despite not competing since then, Holger Rune admitted he was inspired by Djokovic in his victory at the Barcelona Open.

Now both the ATP and WTA Tours will turn their attention to the next big clay court event, as Djokovic returns to Madrid for the first time in three years.

Novak Djokovic says what he thinks about Carlos Alcaraz and his coaching team

Djokovic has been practising at the Madrid Open this week ahead of the tournament getting underway, and also paid a visit to the annual Laureus Sports Awards was held in the Spanish capital.

While not up for an award in 2025, Djokovic was amongst many other sporting stars on the red carpet and spoke to Teledeporte ahead of the Madrid Open.

During this interview in Spanish, Djokovic was asked about rival Carlos Alcaraz and praised the relationship that the young Spaniard has with his team, including main coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

“Always nice, a very good person with great values,” Djokovic said about Alcaraz. “A family, Juan Carlos Ferrero, the whole team, good people. This is more important than anything else.

“Obviously he is an extraordinary champion, very young, he already has many title successes. But as a person, with a smile, always with a smile, I like this a lot.”

Following his early exit at the Miami Open, there were questions about Alcaraz and Ferrero, but those appear to have been answered after reaching back-to-back finals on the clay of Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

Novak Djokovic reveals his goal for the Madrid Open this year

Not only was Djokovic asked about his rivals, but also his own ambitions for the Madrid Open this year.

This will be the Serbian’s first appearance in the Spanish capital since 2022, when he reached the semi-finals before losing to the aforementioned Alcaraz.

When mentioning both Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic suggesting that he would be happy with another semi-final appearance in Madrid.

“Yes, I remember well Caja Magica, extraordinary matches against Nadal, obviously, who is always the biggest rival I have in my career,” said Djokovic. “But the last time I played, I lost in the semi-finals against Alcaraz. I hope I can make it to the semi-finals, because I’m looking for my maximum level.”

This year mark Djokovic’s 13th appearance at the Madrid Open, where he is a three-time champion.

Djokovic won his most recent title at the Madrid Open in 2019, when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

As the fourth seed this year, Djokovic will begin his 2025 Madrid Open campaign against either Italian Matteo Arnaldi or a qualifier.