"You know their styles? Who do they resemble?” - Novak Djokovic makes bold claim around his influence on Alcaraz and Sinner

Novak Djokovic has been usurped as the dominant force on the ATP Tour in recent years. The stark emergence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has been something that even the 24-time Grand Slam champion has not been able to keep up with. His legacy in the sport has spanned two decades, and he believes that his influence can be seen by these new players.

Djokovic was last on court in the USA, where he indulged in a pitiful North American hardcourt swing. Opting to skip the Canadian Open as he continued to rest and recover from his latest Wimbledon semi-final run, he would be knocked out of the Cincinnati Open at the first hurdle.

This left him going to the US Open with not much tennis under his belt. That had not been a problem in recent times, but he would run out of gas in another disappointing defeat, this time to Mariano Navone in five sets.

It was the first time Djokovic had fallen in the opening round of a major tournament for over two decades. An impressive feat, but this latest result is a warning sign that his career in tennis may not be spanning too much longer with him also exiting the top 10 in the process.

Djokovic has spent 20 years on the ATP Tour, and much of that has been at the very top of the sport. Competing with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all those years brewed up some incredible rivalries and contests, but since the pair of them retired, Djokovic has been the last man standing.

All three of them have had a huge impact on the tennis landscape, but Djokovic is in the thinking that the two best players of this current generation, Alcaraz and Sinner, have copied his tennis style.

A snippet of his upcoming interview on Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls podcast was showcased with the 39-year-old submerged in an ice bath. In this clip, he was asked if he had embraced any of the young players.

“Look, I think, for anybody that follows tennis, Sinner and Alcaraz," he said. "You know, you guys know how they play, right? You know their styles? Who do they resemble?”

Hart responded, "You. I’m dead serious. You.” Djokovic continued: “So, for me, that’s the greatest compliment. If I was able to create an impact, I’m happy because that’s the whole point.”

There have been a lot of comparisons between Djokovic and Sinner on the court, with their game styles made for gradually wearing their opponents down with impeccable consistency and class. However, when it comes to Alcaraz there are some stark differences.

For a start, the variety Alcaraz poses on the court is very unique. A master at drop shots, the 23-year-old has a lethal injection of speed on his side, able to get to most balls. The baseline consistency that Djokovic uses is not often seen in the Alcaraz game. The more explosive temperament with high risk shots that usually come off make for a very entertaining performance, and has got more comparisons to the other two members of the 'Big Three' than Djokovic.

Nevertheless, Djokovic's influence on the sport has been huge. These top players coming through the ranks would have watched and marvelled at the Serbian, learning a great deal from how he played. Still going in his late 30s, Djokovic is not the force that he once was. He may not be lifting the big titles anymore, but there are still reasons to be inspired through his work ethic and ability to still be playing at the high level he currently does.