Alcaraz has faced Novak Djokovic himself on multiple occasions in his young career, and has won three of their eight encounters so far.

The Serbian has shown he still has what it takes to compete against and beat the next generation at 37, and it remains to be seen if Carlos Alcaraz will replicate that at the same age.

Does Carlos Alcaraz see himself playing for as long as Novak Djokovic?

Alcaraz has already been on tour for five years after making his ATP Tour main draw debut in February 2020.

He was 16 at the time and now aged 21, he has already achieved more than what the vast majority of players will not come close to throughout their entire careers.

Therefore, if Alcaraz was to play into his late 30s like Djokovic, there are no limits to what more the World number three can achieve in tennis.

Alcaraz certainly has the ambition to play for a long time yet, but he is trying not to look too far ahead.

“I hope I can last like them, still playing well at 37 or 38,” Alcaraz said during his time at the Qatar Open. “For now, I’m focused on the next 5 years, gradually taking care of my body and game to endure like them.”

Novak Djokovic speaks on his longevity in tennis

The iconic tennis quartet of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams all re-wrote what it means to have a long career.

Each of those players played beyond the age of 35 and not only that, they were still competitive and in some cases won titles.

Djokovic is the only member of that group still playing and at 37 years of age he finally won the Olympic gold medal, and reached his tenth Wimbledon final.

Up until the summer of 2024, Djokovic was the World number one and despite being in the latter part of his career, he is still a huge threat in every tournament he enters.

While at the 2024 US Open, Djokovic spoke about what contributes to his longevity in tennis. “There’s not one word or secret that would describe it all. It’s just a way of life and a way to approach my tennis career,” he said.

“I was fortunate very early on in my life to be surrounded by knowledgeable and passionate people who were kind enough to share their guidance with me for years and they taught me very early on that prevention equals longevity.

“Stretching. Warm-up. Everything I do early on in my life will come back to me later in my career. “The body is one part. The mentality and emotional, mental aspect is something on the other side.

“You’ve got to find the optimal balance between the two. I’m still enjoying myself to compete. I’m very self critical on the court. I get frustrated at times.

“At the end of the day, this sport gave me so much. Me continuing to play and giving 100% every time I step on the court is paying back to this wonderful sport.”