After the electric comebacks, the magical shot-making, and the passion, belief and smile that had defined his remarkable ascent, this was the moment where Carlos Alcaraz took the step from generational talent to stand among the pantheon of the greatest tennis players of all time. As Novak Djokovic sensed his opportunity to make history, Alcaraz wrote his own: by winning his first Australian Open title, overturning Djokovic to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 and under enormous pressure, Alcaraz becomes the youngest man of all time to complete the career grand slam at 22 years and 272 days.
He joins the illustrious list of Don Budge, Fred Perry, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic to win all four major titles, doing so faster than anyone else. He is more than a year younger than Nadal was when he set the Open-era record at 2010 US Open at the age of 24. Fittingly, Nadal had a front-row seat at the Rod Laver Arena as Alcaraz continued to walk in his compatriot’s footsteps, while also breaking new ground. “Nobody knows how hard I’ve been working, to get this trophy, to chase this moment,” the Spaniard said.
