The Australian Open Men’s Final: a match that made history for Carlos Alcaraz.
We kicked off 2026 with the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year ran from 18th January to 1st February, and launched what is already set to be an incredible season for world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
By capturing his first Australian Open title and seventh overall grand slam title, Alcaraz completed the career Grand Slam in spectacular fashion. Sunday’s monumental final saw him become the youngest man ever to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments. At just 22 years, 8 months, and 27 days, he broke a record that had stood for 87 years since Don Budge won the 1938 French Open.
Alcaraz faced Novak Djokovic in the final, defeating him in four sets: 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5. It marked his seventh major title, but perhaps his sweetest, having previously struggled to conquer the Melbourne tournament. He fell to Djokovic in last year’s quarter-finals and had also been defeated by Alexander Zverev in 2024. This time, however, he broke new ground: reaching both his first semi-final and final at the tournament, before finally lifting the trophy that would write his name in history.
To call Alcaraz’s career a success would be an understatement. Since claiming his first major at the 2022 US Open, it has taken him only twelve Grand Slam appearances to complete the full set, shattering the Open Era record of twenty tournaments previously held by his idol, fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
His meteoric rise began back in 2022, when he clinched his first major win at the US Open before then dethroning Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2023. His momentum was only rising in 2024 when he defeated Zverev to win his first French Open, becoming the youngest man to win majors on all three surfaces (hard, grass, and clay). He then defended his Wimbledon crown later that year, once again dominating Djokovic to win in straight sets.
However, last year’s season saw Alcaraz elevate his game even further. He staged a remarkable comeback in the French Open final against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, saving three championship points and fighting back from two sets down in one of the greatest matches of the modern era: 4–6, 6–7 (4-7), 6–4, 7–6 (7-3), 7–6 (10-2). He followed that with a second US Open title, reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking by the end of the season.
Throughout the 2025 season, the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner defined the men’s game. The pair met in three of the four major finals, splitting the titles between them and firmly establishing themselves as the sport’s dominant forces. Heading into 2026, expectations were sky-high for seeing these two battle it out in the major finals.
Yet Melbourne delivered a shocking twist, with Sinner suffering an astonishing semi-final defeat after a five-set battle against Djokovic – earning the Serbian a place in his first major final since 2024. With Sinner, the two-time defending champion, out of the tournament, the path was clear for Alcaraz to make history.
The final began shakily, with the Spaniard managing to secure just two games in the opening set.
But in true champion-like style, he fought back, never letting up, and went on to win the next three sets. With Djokovic’s final forehand just missing the line, Alcaraz achieved his maiden Australian Open title – the one that was always out of his grasp. It was a gruelling match for the former World No.1, who is now the No.4 seed, but the Serbian still defied the odds in achieving a place in a major final at 38 years old.
But ultimately, this night belonged to the Spaniard. Repeatedly, Alcaraz has shown he is the future of the men’s game alongside Sinner. His early achievements already surpass those of many all-time greats when they were his age.
We are witnessing what is just the beginning of a career that defines a generation and quite possibly, the greatest of all time.
