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Alcaraz has now won each of the Grand Slam tournaments. Until this year, he couldn’t say the same about the Australian Open - his best results were two quarter-final appearances in 2024 and 2025.
Before this season, he also parted ways with the architect of his success, coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Many were convinced: "This will cost Carlos the title." But that didn’t happen.
"I want to thank my team. We had to get through some very tough times. There was a lot circulating in the media, and we had to block it out. My team deserves huge credit for that. It was complicated, demanding, but we made it," said the emotional Spaniard after the final, who continues to win fans with his genuine behaviour on court.
Key moments
Alcaraz had a rough start in the round of 16, trailing after a break from his opponent, but managed to push the first set into a tie-break. At 5-4 in the tie-break, Paul was serving for the set, but that’s when the young Spaniard stepped up. Alcaraz turned the set around, and from then on, the American couldn’t find the strength to come back.
Alcaraz vs Zverev 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5
Alcaraz led 2-0 in sets in the semi-final, but then hit a rough patch. At 5-4 in the third set, he called for a medical timeout. "He’s cramping. This is unbelievable, you can’t be serious, how are you protecting those two?" asked Zverev in a conversation with the tournament supervisor.
Still, the German managed to shift the momentum, forced a fifth set, and even served for the match. But then, as so often before, Zverev couldn’t close out a big match. Credit also goes to Alcaraz; the final point, a stunning forehand passing shot, was a testament to his class.
Alcaraz vs Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
Alcaraz started the final as if he wasn’t even present on the court. Djokovic dominated the first set, leading in every measurable statistic. But from the second set, the Spanish champion woke up and began to show why he’s world number one.
The real tennis battle broke out in the fourth set, when the Serbian player had a chance to level the match with a break for 5-4, but missed his opportunity. Instead, it was Alcaraz who, at 6-5, broke serve for the first time in the set and celebrated his seventh Grand Slam title.
Important numbers
22 – There was no doubt about it. Before the final, this was one of the most talked-about topics: Could Alcaraz become the youngest player ever to complete a career Grand Slam? He did it - at 22 years and 258 days, replacing his famous countryman Rafael Nadal from the top of the record books.
131 – The final at the Australian Open featured two of the best returners on tour. The new champion’s stats prove it: Alcaraz won 131 points on return after his opponent’s second serve. No one else did better in this category.
7 – Slightly overshadowed by the fact that the Spaniard completed the career Grand Slam is that he’s now won seven Grand Slam titles. With this achievement, he matched another icon, Bjorn Borg, who also reached seven titles before turning 23. The legendary Swede added "only" four more, as he retired just two seasons later at the age of 25.
Even after splitting with Ferrero and under the guidance of Samuel Lopez, Alcaraz showed that the media storm following the announcement of their separation didn’t shake him. "No one knows how hard we worked to win this trophy. This is your success too," Alcaraz said to his team.
With this win, the Murcia native increased his lead over Sinner in the rankings to 3,350 points, securing his spot as the world’s top tennis player. Alcaraz became the sixth player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams, joining Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
This year, when it comes to Grand Slams, he’ll be defending his title at Roland Garros, where last year he staged a sensational comeback from two sets down and match points against Sinner. He also faced his main rival at Wimbledon, where the Italian’s precise play proved too much. But Alcaraz got his revenge at the US Open.
