At the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, Novak Djokovic took a moment to honor two of his greatest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. The Serbian champion, who has shared intense battles with both players, spoke warmly about their impact on tennis and his own career.
Nadal, who was awarded the Laureus Sporting Icon Award, received special recognition from Djokovic. The Serbian described Nadal as “the greatest rival of my career”, reflecting on their legendary matches, particularly in Madrid. Djokovic acknowledged the Spaniard’s relentless spirit and the inspiration he has provided to generations of athletes.
Djokovic also praised Alcaraz, the young Spanish star who has quickly risen to the top of the tennis world. He highlighted Alcaraz’s talent, work ethic, and positive attitude, noting that the young player has already achieved remarkable success despite his age.
The event was a celebration of sporting excellence, and Djokovic’s words added a heartfelt touch to the occasion. His admiration for both Nadal and Alcaraz underscored the respect and camaraderie that exist among the sport’s greatest competitors.
🎾"El rival más grande de mi carrera"
🇪🇸 En español, Djokovic nos deja una de las curiosidades de los Laureus hablando sobre Nadal y sobre su posible rival en Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz.#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/aVNI6lciYf
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) April 21, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
LWWWWLWWWW Now the world no.3, Alcaraz played his last match on the 20th of April when he lost to world no.9 Holger Rune 7-6(6) 6-2 in the final in Barcelona (draw).
At present, during this year Carlos owns a 24-5 record. Alcaraz clinched 2 titles in 2025 in Rotterdam and Monte-Carlo. The Spaniard got to the final in Barcelona.
Novak Djokovic in 2025
Ranked world no.5, Djokovic played his last match on the 9th of April when he surrendered to world no.35 Alejandro Tabilo 6-3 6-4 in the 2nd round in Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (draw).
This year the Serbian has achieved a compiled 12-6 match record. Novak Djokovic’s most significant result of this year was reaching the final in Miami.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic faced off 8 times. Their actual head to head record is 5-3 for Djokovic.
