Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets on Sunday to win his first Australian Open title and become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, denying the Serbian an unprecedented 25th major crown.
The 22-year-old Spaniard recovered from a slow start to beat the 38-year-old Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena, claiming his seventh Grand Slam title and reinforcing his status as the world number one.
With the victory, Alcaraz became the youngest man in the Open era to win all four major titles, adding the Australian Open to his two Wimbledon titles and triumphs at the French Open and US Open. He surpassed compatriot Rafael Nadal, who completed the feat at age 24 and was in the stands to witness the milestone.
The win placed Alcaraz alongside John McEnroe and Mats Wilander on seven Grand Slam titles, one behind Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.
“Lifting the trophy for the first time in Australia was crazy,” Alcaraz said during the presentation ceremony, describing the achievement as a dream come true. He later wrote on a television camera lens: “Job finished. Four out of four complete.”
It marked Djokovic’s first defeat in an Australian Open final, having previously won all 10 he contested in Melbourne. The loss left him still searching for a record-breaking 25th major title to surpass Margaret Court. Djokovic last won a Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open.
Addressing the crowd, Djokovic admitted he had not expected to reach another Grand Slam final, thanking fans for their support and praising Alcaraz’s achievement. He also joked about facing Spanish legends, referencing Nadal’s presence in the stands.
Both players came into the final after grueling five-set semi-finals, but showed little sign of fatigue in a high-quality contest. Djokovic dominated the opening set with aggressive returning and control in key moments, but Alcaraz raised his level from the second set, breaking serve early and dictating play with power and pace.
Alcaraz maintained his momentum through the third set and wore down Djokovic in the fourth, eventually breaking serve as the Serbian tried to stay in the match to seal a landmark victory.
The result confirmed Alcaraz’s position as world number one, with Jannik Sinner second and Djokovic moving up to third in the rankings.
