Novak Djokovic’s wait for a 25th Grand Slam title has been extended, while Carlos Alcaraz completes a career milestone by winning the Australian Open.
Djokovic took the first set comfortably, but Alcaraz didn’t take long to bounce back. With an impressive display, he claimed the next two sets. The fourth set was fiercely contested, eventually going to a tiebreak, where the Spanish star emerged victorious. Winning the Australian Open marked the completion of a cycle in his career.
In the year’s first Grand Slam final on Sunday, Djokovic won the opening set 6-2. Alcaraz began his comeback by taking the next set by the same score. He then won the third set 6-3, and dominated the fourth set 7-5 to seal the title.
At 22 years and 272 days old, Alcaraz tasted a career Grand Slam victory. Winning all four Grand Slam tournaments at least once in a career is known as a “Career Grand Slam.”
Before Alcaraz, only eight men and ten women had achieved this milestone. However, no male player had done it at a younger age.
Alcaraz broke Don Budge’s 88-year-old record. When Budge completed his Career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 1938, he was 22 years and 363 days old.
Djokovic achieved this milestone at 29, Roger Federer at 27, and Rafael Nadal at 24 in the Open Era. Before Alcaraz, Nadal, his compatriot, was the youngest male to do so.
Alcaraz has already won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open twice each.
He had never reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open before. Making it to the final for the first time, he lifted the trophy as one of tennis’s brightest sensations.
Once championship points were secured, he threw his racket and fell onto the court, covering his face with his hands. Later, he stood and embraced Djokovic, the record-holding Grand Slam champion.
Previously in Melbourne, Djokovic had won every one of his ten finals appearances. But in his eleventh final here, the Serbian star finally tasted defeat in front of the world.
Since winning three Grand Slams in 2023, Djokovic had not claimed another major. His pursuit of surpassing Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles is now extended, leaving fans waiting for history to be made.
