Carlos Alcaraz creates history, beats Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Sampras, Agassi, becomes youngest player to…
Carlos Alcaraz made tennis history today by defeating Novak Djokovic in a tense four-set match at the 2026 Australian Open final. By winning, the 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man ever to earn a “career slam,” meaning he has now won all four major tennis tournaments. He is only the ninth male player to reach this milestone. This feat was never achieved by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi, so this achievement is very special.
In an exciting battle at the Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz took the title with a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, finishing the tournament as the new champion in Australia.
All you need to know about career slam
A “career slam” means an athlete has finished first in every one of the four biggest tennis tournaments, the events in Melbourne, New York, Paris and London, at some point during their time in the sport.
How was the match?
The big match at the 2026 Australian Open started with a burst of energy from the veteran Serbian player. Djokovic grabbed control early by winning his own turns to hit and then stealing a point on the Spaniard’s turn to move up 3-1. Because Alcaraz had trouble getting his first hits into play, Djokovic was able to keep him on the defensive.
Following a long, six-minute fight for a single point, the younger player made a mistake, allowing Djokovic to pull ahead 4-1. Even though Alcaraz tried to fight back, Djokovic’s perfect hits and powerful style helped him easily win the opening set 6-2.
In the second set of the match, Alcaraz played with a fresh burst of energy. He took the lead 3-1 by winning on his opponent’s serve, using strong hits and clever, short shots that dropped just over the net.
As his serves improved, the young player’s speed helped him dictate the pace of the game. Even though Djokovic tried hard to regain control, Alcaraz stayed steady and won the set 6-2, making the score equal. His quick movements and sharp shots at the net forced the Serbian to rush, and it was clear that Alcaraz was feeling much more certain of himself.
With the score tied, Alcaraz grabbed the lead during the third part of the game. Initially, both men won their own turns to hit, but the younger star took advantage when his opponent started looking a bit tired. He moved ahead 3-1 by winning a game on the Serbian’s serve. Although the veteran fought back, he couldn’t match the speed and accuracy of the Spaniard. Alcaraz finished the set 6-3 after winning four games in a row, putting him just one set away from victory.
In the last part of the game, Djokovic forced Alcaraz to play his absolute best. Even so, the young star stayed calm and showed he could handle the stress of a big moment. When the score was tied at 5-5, Alcaraz won a crucial game against his opponent’s serve and finished the set 7-5. With that win, he became the youngest person ever to complete the full set of major titles, beating the legend with a final score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.