Carlos Alcaraz produced a commanding comeback on Sunday to defeat Novak Djokovic and claim his first Australian Open title, becoming the youngest man in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old Spaniard recovered from a slow start to beat the Serbian great 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 in a gripping final at Melbourne Park, denying Djokovic an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.
With the victory, Alcaraz also became the youngest player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. He earned $2.79 million in prize money, while Djokovic took home $1.45 million as runner-up.
Alcaraz’s achievement eclipses that of compatriot Rafael Nadal, who was two years older when he completed his own career Grand Slam.
“This moment is really special, but having Rafa in the stands made it even more meaningful,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“Winning the Australian Open and completing the career Grand Slam is a dream come true.”
The Spaniard’s triumph capped an extraordinary tournament run, coming just two days after a gruelling five-set semifinal victory over Alexander Zverev that lasted more than five hours. Alcaraz revealed he drew inspiration from Nadal’s legendary 2009 Australian Open campaign.
“After the semi-final, I thought about Rafa’s match against Verdasco in 2009 and how he recovered to play an incredible final against Federer,” he said. “That gave me belief.”
For Alcaraz, the Melbourne victory cements his place among tennis’s elite and signals a generational shift at the very top of the men’s game.
