Alcaraz conquers Australian Open, completes historic career Grand Slam set

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The trophy cabinet is now complete.

In a historic atmosphere at the iconic Rod Laver Arena, Carlos Alcaraz achieved the biggest record-breaking feat of his career after becoming the youngest man in tennis to complete the Grand Slam championship set on Feb. 1, 2026.

Having already won the other three Grand Slam events, the 22-year-old solidified his greatness after besting Novak Djokovic in the grand final of the Australian Open, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5, to finally bag the elusive golden trophy in Melbourne.

Alcaraz surpassed the long-standing record held by Don Budge since 1938—who was 91 days younger—moments after capturing his biggest tennis achievement.

Spain’s finest also became the youngest ATP player in the Open era to quickly reach seven Grand Slam titles, transcending another tennis legend, Bjorn Borg, who did it at 23 years old.

However, the Alcaraz celebration faced the classic thrill and agony after the more experienced Djokovic got the better of him in the opening set.

Hounded by a series of unforced errors and missed break points, Alcaraz fell quickly in the fourth game of the set, allowing Djokovic to seize full control and grab a momentum-boosting 1–0 lead.

Despite trailing 0–1, Alcaraz approached the second set with business as usual, gaining steam after breaking Djokovic in the third game, en route to an equalizing 6–2 win.

Both finalists entered a grueling chess match as Djokovic started to dig deep with his topspin cross-court groundstrokes, while Alcaraz stayed sharp in every service hold.

The pivotal moment came in the seventh game, when Alcaraz scored his second break point to pull away, 5–2, and equalize the finals at 1-all.

Warmed up, more comfortable with the baseline exchanges, and more decisive with his shot selection, a rejuvenated Alcaraz dismantled Djokovic in the last two sets, highlighted by several jaw-dropping points that turned garbage into gold.

The fourth set came close as both players protected their service games to reach a 5-all deadlock, but Alcaraz dropped the hammer with a break, followed by a flawless service hold to etch his name in tennis history.

“Nobody knows how hard I’ve been working to get this trophy – I just chased this moment so much,” Alcaraz said.

“Thank you to all, for pushing me. For pushing me in the tough moments and during the matches. I can’t wait to come back next year.”