Novak Djokovic couldn't resist having a bit of fun at Carlos Alcaraz's expense after spotting the Spaniard's revamped serve at the Australian Open.
The Serbian star revealed he'd already been in touch with his younger rival about the strikingly familiar technique.
"As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message. I said, we have to speak about the copyrights," Djokovic said with a grin following his first-round victory on Monday.
He then took the joke further, explaining: "When I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about percentage of his winnings. Every ace I expect a tribute to me."
Novak Djokovic joked about messaging Carlos Alcaraz about his serve
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Alcaraz was well aware the comparisons would come, even pre-empting journalists' questions about the resemblance.
"You probably meant to say it's very similar to Djokovic's, right? I knew it," he said with a laugh.
The 22-year-old insisted he hadn't deliberately copied the 38-year-old's motion, but admitted the likeness was hard to ignore.
"I just slightly changed the motion, and I feel more comfortable this way. It's more fluid, more relaxed, and perfectly timed. It helps me serve much better," Alcaraz explained.
He added: "I didn't think about copying Djokovic's serve. But of course, I can see the similarities."
Carlos Alcaraz has a new serve - and Novak Djokovic reckons he has seen it before
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Both players made light work of their opening matches in Melbourne.
Djokovic was particularly impressive against Pedro Martinez, cruising to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
The 10-time Australian Open champion won a remarkable 93 per cent of his first-serve points and didn't face a single break point throughout the match.
"Performance-wise, the feeling on the court, it was great. I couldn't ask for more," Djokovic said afterwards.
Alcaraz was equally dominant in his opener, dispatching home favourite Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2 on Sunday.
The Spaniard's new serving motion was already turning heads, with clips quickly going viral across social media.
The draw has set up a tantalising potential showdown between the pair in the final, though both have plenty of work to do first.
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the favourites to win the Australian Open
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Djokovic faces Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in round two, while Alcaraz takes on Yannick Hanfmann on Wednesday.
The Serbian is chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, having reached all four major semi-finals last year.
For Alcaraz, victory in Melbourne would complete the Career Slam at just 22 years old – a remarkable achievement that Djokovic himself accomplished a decade ago.
Should they both navigate their respective halves, we could see whether that "copyright agreement" holds up on the biggest stage.