A four-set victory for Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final handed the Spaniard the only major tennis title he was missing. In the process, he denied Novak Djokovic a historic 25th Grand Slam title, a milestone that would have extended the Serbian’s all-time men’s record. Here, we assess what lies ahead for both players and recap the final showdown in Melbourne.
Will Djokovic Make It to 25?
With his 39th birthday just a few months away, time is clearly against Novak Djokovic. He is already the all-time men’s Grand Slam record holder with 24 titles, two ahead of Rafael Nadal. As things stand, however, Djokovic is level on 24 majors with Margaret Court, so he would love to add to his total before retirement.
Having reached the final this time around and made the semi-final of every Grand Slam last year, he may not be at his physical peak, but he remains incredibly competitive. To book his place in this recent final, he overcame world number two Jannik Sinner in a dramatic five-set semi-final. At the same time, he was fortunate to reach that stage in the first place, having trailed by two sets to Lorenzo Musetti before the Italian was forced to retire in the quarter-finals.
There is also the historical context. At 38 years and 255 days old, Djokovic became the oldest man in history to reach the Australian Open final, and the oldest Grand Slam finalist overall since Ken Rosewall at the 1974 US Open. It should also be remembered that the Australian Open is Djokovic’s most successful tournament, having won it 10 times. If he cannot secure major titles here, his chances elsewhere inevitably become even harder.
We can never rule him out, but it is likely that we have already witnessed the Serbian’s last Grand Slam victory, especially after his post-match comments hinted that retirement may not be too far away.
More to Come from Alcaraz
At 22 years and 272 days old, Alcaraz became the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam, breaking a record set by American Don Budge in 1938. Seeing Alcaraz lift major trophies already feels normal, and there is a strong sense that this will be a familiar sight for many years to come. Even Djokovic’s seemingly untouchable records may not be entirely safe.
This latest win made it seven Grand Slam titles for the man who recently split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Djokovic did not reach the same total until he was 27, underlining the scale of the Spaniard’s early dominance. In winning his seventh major, Alcaraz now has more Grand Slam singles titles before the age of 23 than any other man in the Open Era.
Countless statistics underline just how special this young player already is, but the most compelling evidence remains his performances on the biggest stages. His composure, physicality and tactical intelligence already resemble those of a seasoned champion rather than a youthful prospect. With that in mind, it is worth revisiting exactly how he secured his seventh Grand Slam title.
Australian Open Final Recap
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Djokovic came out of the gates fast, playing one of the best opening sets he has produced in recent years, in his own words. Breaking Alcaraz is no easy task, particularly with the Spaniard’s much-improved serve, but the Serb managed it twice as he surprisingly claimed the first set 6–2.
Djokovic began the second set well enough, too, but a fortunate net cord in the third game shifted the momentum and helped Alcaraz secure a break. The Spaniard, spurred on by that slice of fortune, won four of the next five games to level the match. Errors began to creep into Djokovic’s game and, with Alcaraz finding his rhythm, the world number one took the third set 6–3.
Although Djokovic was on the ropes, he refused to give in. In the second game of the fourth set, he saved six break points and later had a break opportunity himself in a tense ninth game. His resistance eventually cracked, however, with Alcaraz closing out the final set 7–5 to secure the win.
| Alcaraz | Stat | Djokovic |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Aces | 4 |
| 2 | Double faults | 2 |
| 77% | 1st Serve points won | 67% |
| 57% | 2nd Serve points won | 53% |
| 70% | Net points won | 63% |
| 31% | Break points won | 33% |
| 36 | Winners | 32 |
| 27 | Unforced errors | 48 |
| 118 | Total points won | 106 |
What ultimately proved decisive was the volume of unforced errors from Djokovic. Coming into the final, he was averaging 28 unforced errors per match, and in the opening set, he committed just four. As the rallies became longer and Alcaraz grew in confidence, Djokovic’s error count rose sharply. Thirty-one of his 48 unforced errors came in the final two sets, and that swing was enough to tip the balance in favour of the new champion.