Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first Australian Open title on Sunday, defeating Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in a three-hour, two-minute final at Rod Laver Arena to etch his name into tennis history.
After dropping the opening set to a razor-sharp Djokovic, the 22-year-old world No. 1 turned the match around with aggressive returns, cleaner baseline hitting and superior physicality, pulling away over the final three sets to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam, having won all four singles titles.
By ending Djokovic’s perfect 11-0 record in Australian Open finals, Alcaraz also secured his seventh Grand Slam crown, moving level with legends John McEnroe and Mats Wilander on the all-time list.
Australian Open 2026 Day 15 Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Score line |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz (1) | Novak Djokovic (4) | 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 |
Summary of the match
The match opened with Djokovic in vintage form, dominating the opening set with aggressive forehand strokes and accurate serves.
The 38-year-old Serbian dropped just two points behind serve and broke Alcaraz twice to take a commanding lead.
Alcaraz seemed flat and low-energy early on, which wasn’t much of a surprise given his marathon against Zverev on Friday; this allowed Djokovic to dictate the game with his characteristic ruthless precision.
The turning point came in the second set. At 1-1, 15/15 on Djokovic’s serve, Alcaraz got a lucky net string that hit a forehand over and landed just inside the baseline on Djokovic’s side, triggering the momentum-changing break.
Alcaraz broke again in the seventh game, serving out the set with authority and letting out a roar as he leveled the match.
From there, the Spaniard found his rhythm and moved freely around the court to neutralize Djokovic’s aggression.
The third set featured plenty of electric exchanges, with Alcaraz winning five of six games to take a two-sets-to-one lead.
Djokovic, as always, refused to fade quietly, and in the fourth set he fended off six break points in a grueling second game. But Alcaraz stayed calm, forced errors and created opportunities.
The decisive break came in the 12th game: Djokovic fired a forehand long on Alcaraz’s first match point, sending the Spaniard tumbling to the court in joy.
The victory extended the recent dominance of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have now claimed the last nine Grand Slam titles between them since Djokovic’s last major victory at the 2023 US Open.
For Djokovic, the defeat marked the end of a remarkable run to the final, his first major championship match since Wimbledon 2024, and it was simply a case of youth triumphing over experience.
Novak started very well, but when his level dropped a touch, Alcaraz moved up a notch, and in sets 2 and 3 he didn’t make much of an impression on Alcaraz’s service game.
It gave Alcaraz more freedom in his game, and from there he took charge. 16 years is a significant age difference that, when paired against a player of Alcaraz’s caliber, I think is nearly impossible to overcome, especially if it requires back-to-back 5-set matches.
Match statistics
| Key statistics | Carlos Alcaraz | Novak Djokovic |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 36 | 32 |
| Unforced errors | 27 | 46 |
| Ace | 9 | 4 |
| Double mistake | 2 | 2 |
| 1st serving % | 65% (66/101) | 69% (85/123) |
| 1st Serve point won | 77% (51/66) | 66% (56/85) |
| 2nd serve point won | 57% (20/35) | 53% (20/38) |
| Breakpoints saved | 67% (4/6) | 69% (11/16) |
| 1st return point won | 34% (29/85) | 23% (15/66) |
| 2nd return point won | 47% (18/38) | 43% (15/35) |
| Break point won | 31% (5/16) | 33% (2/6) |
| Return game | 26% (5/19) | 11% (2/18) |
| Pressure points | 41% (9/22) | 59% (22/13) |
| Service points | 70% (71/101) | 62% (76/123) |
| Return points | 38% (47/123) | 30% (30/101) |
| Net points | 70% (14/20) | 63% (20/32) |
| Total points | 53% (118/224) | 47% (106/224) |
| Match point saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max points in a row | 6 | 6 |
| Total game | 57% (21/37) | 43% (16/37) |
| Max games in a row | 3 | 3 |
Highlights
Trophy ceremony
Press conferences
Coming soon.
What did you think of the Australian Open? It certainly picked up steam from the semi-finals onwards, but did the first 12 days fail to deliver? It almost feels like Stan Wawrinka boosted the tournament with his match against Gea. Let me know in the comments.
