Carlos Alcaraz has claimed a dramatic victory over Novak Djokovic to win the 2026 Australian Open Men’s Singles title in one of the most significant matches in modern tennis history.
The 22-year-old Spaniard’s four-set win on Sunday, February 1, not only earned him his first Australian Open trophy but also secured his place in the sport’s elite by becoming the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam, winning all four major titles in the Open Era.
Alcaraz dropped the opening set 2-6 as Djokovic, appearing in his record 11th Australian Open final, surged out of the blocks.
But the world No. 1 responded emphatically, taking the next three sets 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in a high-intensity battle that lasted over three hours at Rod Laver Arena.
At 22 years and 272 days old, Alcaraz became the youngest male player to complete the career Grand Slam, surpassing the long-standing benchmark set in 1938.
With this win, he joins tennis legends such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andre Agassi as the only men in the Open Era to have won all four major titles: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
This historic win also marked Alcaraz’s seventh Grand Slam title overall and filled the only gap in his major resume, the Australian Open, making this triumph particularly meaningful.
The final was billed as a clash of generations. Djokovic, 38, sought an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, a tally that would have broken the all-time major record and aimed to become the oldest male Grand Slam winner in the Open Era.
However, Alcaraz’s youthful intensity, speed, and tactical precision proved decisive in the second, third and fourth sets, turning the momentum in his favor.
Djokovic’s defeat was his first in an Australian Open final after ten previous victories at Melbourne Park. Despite the loss, the Serbian great acknowledged Alcaraz’s achievement and continued to draw praise for his longevity and relentless competitiveness.
