Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 on Sunday to win his first Australian Open title and complete the career Grand Slam at 22 years and 272 days, the youngest man ever to hold all four majors.
A record older than most nations
The milestone had stood since 1938, when Don Budge first claimed the set. In four previous visits to Melbourne, Alcaraz had never advanced beyond the quarter-finals. His opponent had never lost an Australian Open final, carrying a 10–0 record into the match.
Djokovic storms, Alcaraz absorbs
The 38-year-old Serb seized the opening set in 33 minutes, winning 93 per cent of first-serve points and limiting Alcaraz’s second-serve success to 13 per cent. The Spaniard responded immediately after the changeover, breaking Djokovic twice to level the match.
He questioned officials about the partially closed roof, then proceeded to dictate the third set with 36 winners, including nine aces and six drop shots. Across the three-hour final he landed 14 of 20 net approaches and converted five breaks of serve, while Rafael Nadal watched from the stands.
A puzzle solved, a series evened
The victory arrived months after he saved championship points and rallied from two sets down against Jannik Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final ever, then reclaimed world No. 1 in New York without dropping a set. Djokovic had been chasing a record-extending 25th major; their head-to-head now stands at five wins apiece.
“Nobody knows how hard I’ve been working to get this trophy,” Alcaraz told reporters afterwards. A seventh major, the ninth man to own all four surfaces, and the youngest ever to sit in that company — a quiet, stubborn resolution written across one February afternoon.
