The maximalist beat the minimalist. The 22-year-old beat the 38-year-old. In a battle of records, the player trying to win the career Grand Slam at the youngest age for a man in the Open Era beat the player trying to win his 25th major, which would distance him further from the field. All of which is to say, Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5, to win the 2026 Australian Open. He completed his goal of the career Grand Slam. At 22, he has now won seven majors (for perspective, that is as many as John McEnroe won in his entire career). He stays No. 1 in the rankings and is fast-moving up the greatest-ever power rankings.
After taking match point, Alcaraz dropped to his knees, which resembled his position two hours earlier. In the first set, it was Djokovic who drew first blood, playing a brilliant set of tennis and looking the fresher player after the two grueling semifinals 48 hours earlier. Then, however, a combination of Djokovic and biology did its thing. Djokovic suddenly looked drained, which upped his risk threshold, and he began taking wilder cuts. Alcaraz, meanwhile, found his range on his serve and groundstrokes, won the second set, then the third and closed out the match. His offense, as usual, and his valence off the ground was something to behold. But this match was as much about his defense and point prolonging, which took a toll on his 38-year-old opponent.
