Carlos Alcaraz etched his name even deeper into tennis history on Sunday night at the Australian Open, where the 22-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Afterward, an emotional Alcaraz reflected on the achievement that had fuelled his offseason preparation.
“It’s a great feeling. Completing a Career Grand Slam was something that was on my mind,” Alcaraz said. “Every time that I come here to Australia, I just have preseason with my mind on this tournament to try to work as hard as I can and to be as well-prepared as I can, to play this tournament and try to get the trophy.
“In the previous years, I haven’t gone in a good way, but I am really happy that I just pushed myself to be better and finally came this year.”
Alcaraz arrived in Melbourne under unusual circumstances, having split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December after seven years together. The change brought noise and doubt from the outside, something Alcaraz was determined to shut out.
“It was a different preseason for me, so I just had to come back from an unusual situation for me, which was difficult,” said Alcaraz, who had never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne before this year. “A lot of people were talking about everything and having doubts about my level in this tournament.
“Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting the trophy. It didn’t happen. Couldn’t go further than the quarter-finals. Coming this year, I was hungry for more, ambitious for getting the trophy and being strong mentally enough, not hearing anything or any words from the people. And then just playing good tennis in this tournament means a lot, means the world to me. It is a dream come true for me.”
Facing 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic in the final, Alcaraz absorbed an early storm when the Serbian raced through the opening set. Rather than panic, the Spaniard trusted the process, responding to record a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
“The first set, I think he played great,” Alcaraz said. “I was hitting the ball well. I was moving well. I played well the first set, but in front of me I had a great and inspired Novak, who was playing great, great shots.
“So in the second set I think the first game he made a few easy mistakes that he hadn’t had in the first set, so that gave me a lot of calm. I just trusted and I believed that the match could change a little bit if I stayed there mentally. Trying to be solid, I just changed a little bit tactically… I think that helped a lot to get into the match again and I felt comfortable and calmer in the match.”
[NO 1 CLUB]
The pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head is now level at 5-5. Djokovic had set a 10th meeting with Alcaraz when he defeated Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals to reach his first major championship match since Wimbledon in 2024.
Despite the magnitude of his own milestone, Alcaraz was quick to praise record 24-time major winner Djokovic.
“What he’s doing is inspiring. It is inspiring for all the athletes,” Alcaraz said. “It’s not only tennis players but all the athletes, even myself. What he’s putting his body and his mind, his life into playing a final of a Grand Slam again. [He has been] going against people saying that he was not going to play another Grand Slam final or he was not going to beat Jannik or myself. Then he comes and plays such great tennis and beats Jannik in the semi-final, and here in the final, played such great tennis. It’s unbelievable what he’s doing.”
So, after completing the Career Grand Slam, can Alcaraz, a seven-time major champion, now win all four majors in the same year?
“It is going to be a big challenge,” Alcaraz said. “I just want it to be one at a time. Right now, the next one is [Roland Garros]. I have great memories of that tournament. I feel really special every time that I go there. I don’t want to put myself in a really pressure position to have to do it.”
Alcaraz has now captured 15 Big Titles — a combination of Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and Olympic singles gold medals. Rival Sinner has 11. Alcaraz also leaves Melbourne at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, 3,350 points clear of 2024 and 2025 Australian Open champion Sinner.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Source link
