With an emotional collapse on the court and an overwhelming eruption from the Melbourne crowd, world number one Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam at only 22 years old. In just over three hours, the Spaniard defeated 38-year-old Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who was undefeated in 10 previous Australian Open finals.
The Australian Open, held from mid-January to early February at Melbourne Park, is the first of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. Expectations were high leading up to the first major tennis tournament of the year, despite the event’s notably slow start.
The tournament accelerated on the men’s semifinal night, starting with the longest semifinal match in the Australian Open’s history. In five hours and 27 minutes, Alcaraz beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev to secure a place in the final. For Alcaraz, landing a place in the final meant he was one step closer to achieving a career Gram Slam—winning all four major tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open).
Despite winning the first two sets in the semifinal matchup, Alcaraz suffered cramps in his right groin, which allowed Zverev to tie the match—the first men’s match of this tournament to go to a deciding set in the Rod Laver Arena. Even though Zverev led for the majority of the set, the Spaniard won the last two crucial games and secured a spot in the final.
Another nail-biting final followed suit, and the night was far from over. The second men’s semifinal welcomed Djokovic and Italy’s Jannik Sinner. Sinner aimed to defend his title as last year’s winner of the Australian tournament. Across the net was Djokovic, hoping to get his 25th Grand Slam title and set the record for the most in men’s tennis. The match started with Sinner dominating, winning the first set in 38 minutes. However, the tide shifted in the second set. Djokovic established a lead early and held on to it to tie the match one-all.
After struggling physically in the third set, Djokovic emerged in the fourth with freshness and concentration. The Serbian took the upper hand by using his serves to win crucial points and hitting groundstrokes with incredible accuracy and depth. The night finished just after 1:30 a.m. with Djokovic setting up a 10th meeting with Alcaraz on Feb. 1.
Before the men’s final, the women’s singles final took centre stage on Jan. 31. Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one and last year’s finalist, took on world number three Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka did not drop a set this entire tournament, and she was in top form coming into the final.
Striking the ball with overwhelming power, Rybakina established a lead quickly. However, Sabalenka’s continuous and persistent efforts paid off in the second set. In the deciding set, Sabalenka built on her momentum to achieve a three-game lead, but it proved to be short-lived. Rybakina rallied, levelling the score and winning the crucial games to secure the championship.
As Rybakina lifted her trophy, attention turned to the men’s singles finals. The night saw two records on the line, but only one could get broken: The youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam, or the most Grand Slams ever won. Djokovic continued his top form, claiming the first set with authority. Still, the 22-year-old refused to back down. With Djokovic’s inability to keep up the high level throughout the match, the Spaniard quickly turned the tide against the seasoned veteran, winning the next three sets.
After a missed long forehand by Djokovic, Alcaraz dropped to the court while the crowd rose to their feet. Alcaraz has now joined a group of only nine male tennis legends who have completed a career Grand Slam—including his opponent Novak Djokovic, his fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, and the legendary Rod Laver. And he did it all at only 22.
