Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz share a positive relationship off the court despite their rivalry, and that was demonstrated by a humorous remark Djokovic made to the Spaniard after their Olympic gold medal match.
It is difficult for rivals to be close off the court. Top-level sports are so competitive, and athletes worry they could compromise if they develop relationships that are too friendly with those challenging them.
For instance, Djokovic admitted there was no brotherhood between him and his greatest rival, Rafael Nadal. The pair respects one another, as shown by Nadal congratulating Djokovic after winning Olympic gold, but they are never friends.
However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has spoken about his relationship with the new generation of players being better than it was with Roger Federer and Nadal when he first came onto the ATP Tour as a younger player.
Djokovic admitted Federer, in particular, did not like how he acted in his early years. However, the Serbian insisted he always had respect for his opponents and that his desire to get to the top was based on self-belief rather than arrogance.
Although Alcaraz and Djokovic are not close friends, their relationship is far better by comparison. The Serbian also gets along well with Jannik Sinner, who he most recently played in the Australian Open semifinal.
Djokovic's 7-6, 7-6 victory against Alcaraz to win Olympic gold was a match of exceptional quality. The Serbian produced one of the best serving performances of his career to defeat the 21-year-old.
Alcaraz was very emotional after the loss, crying during an interview with his compatriot Alex Corretja. He later explained the reason for his tears, but was characteristically gracious and congratulated Djokovic on his success.
The 37-year-old also showed humility in victory. Djokovic posted a touching message on social media about Alcaraz after beating him to Olympic gold, showing the unique level of respect he has for him as a person.
His kind words were not just on social media, though. The seven-time Wimbledon champion did an interview in Spanish after the match, in which he said Alcaraz could win many golds while also revealing a funny comment he made to the Spaniard.
"I told Carlos at the end of the match that thank you very much for letting me win the gold. He is young. He can win not one, but many golds for Spain."
Djokovic's ability to jokingly thank Alcaraz so quickly after he had suffered a tough defeat shows their relationship. The Spaniard took no offense at the comment and had no issue congratulating Djokovic without equivocation on his success.
Interestingly, the moment was reminiscent of the 2014 Wimbledon trophy ceremony. After beating Federer in five sets, Djokovic jokingly thanked the legendary Swiss maestro for letting him win.
By 2014, Djokovic and Federer's relationship had significantly improved. The Serbian also waited until the trophy ceremony rather than straight after the match at the net, which helped Federer view the comment in a humorous light.
The respectful rivalry between Djokovic and Alcaraz is wonderful to watch, and hopefully, they will play more epic matches in the future.