When Novak Djokovic’s 41-match winning streak to begin 2011 was brought up to Carlos Alcaraz in Tennis Paradise, reflection led the Spaniard to marvel at the achievement. 

“I’m gonna say you don’t realize how difficult it is until you’re chasing that because, all right, 41 is not that much, but then you’re like (on) 12” and “it’s like four or five more tournaments, the biggest tournaments in the world,” Alcaraz said on the eve of the tournament.

“You realize and you feel like how impressive it is.”

After his 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 second-round win Saturday over Kamil Majchrzak, Djokovic backed Alcaraz to possibly match the gargantuan streak. 

Alcaraz still has a long way to go but the world No. 1 improved to 13-0 in 2026 when he swept past Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 in 69 minutes later at Stadium 1.

“He can do it,” said Djokovic. “He has everything that you need to have in terms of the game, in terms of the adaptability to different surfaces, and level of fitness and recovery that he has shown and matured over the years.

“He needs to keep his body healthy. If he keeps his body healthy, he's so good that he can win any tournament he plays on.

“So you never know. He's been doing some historic things in our sport for such a young age.”

Djokovic — so used to setting records himself — was on the other side of the net when Alcaraz, 22, become the youngest man to complete his Grand Slam collection at this year’s Australian Open. 

“But winning 40-plus matches, and I have had a couple other runs as well at the beginning of different seasons where I had 25-plus, I think, twice, it's demanding,” continued Djokovic, who went 26-0 to begin 2020 and 28-0 in 2016 if discounting a retirement loss to Feliciano Lopez. 

“But at the same time, it feels when you are winning so much and you're riding that wave, you don't want to let go of that wave. You want to surf on that wave as long as you can, because the level of confidence is really high, and obviously when you lose first time, that is a bit shaken up.

“But as long as you're winning, you feel like each match stronger, in a sense, if I can reflect or recall my feelings that I had during that time.

“I wish him many more victories. I think he's great for our sport, and what he's been doing is remarkable.”

Djokovic’s 2011 run ended amid a Davis Cup like atmosphere at the French Open, when Roger Federer ousted him in four sets. 

Back to the present and the 38-year-old said he was happy with how he “hung in there” against Majchrzak in blustery conditions. He hadn’t played since the Australian Open. 

“Five weeks with no official match, I knew that the first match in such a long time will be a little bit tricky,” he said. “But I managed to reset after I lost that first set right away in the second and really never looked back. 

“I felt like I had to find my ‘A’ game when it was most needed, particularly the beginning of the third, which was the case.”

Majchrzak idolized Djokovic, as did the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s next opponent in the desert, Aleksandar Kovacevic.