Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open on February 1, 2026, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The 22-year-old Spaniard, now with seven major titles, revealed Wimbledon as his favorite tournament in a recent interview. He praised its prestige, stating it offers the most status among the four Slams.
Carlos Alcaraz etched his name into tennis history on February 1, 2026, at Melbourne Park, where he overcame Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the Australian Open final. This victory marked his first title at the event and completed his Career Grand Slam, making him the sixth man in the Open Era—and the ninth overall—to win all four majors. At 22, Alcaraz surpassed Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat two years older, and joined John McEnroe and Mats Wilander with seven Slams, one shy of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl.
Prior to this triumph, Alcaraz had struggled at the Australian Open, losing in the quarterfinals twice. His path included a grueling five-set, 5-hour-27-minute semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, the longest men's semifinal in tournament history. Zverev rallied from two sets down and led 5-3 in the decider but faltered, allowing Alcaraz to advance and face Djokovic, who had stunned Jannik Sinner in the other semifinal.
In a YouTube video with golfer Bryson DeChambeau titled 'Can I Break 50 with Carlos Alcaraz from the Front Tees?', Alcaraz named Wimbledon his favorite Slam. "Wimbledon. Wimbledon is the one," he said. "You win just one Grand Slam, and it’s going to be Wimbledon. It’s the one that gives you the most status." Alcaraz has won Wimbledon twice, in 2023 and 2024, both against Djokovic, though he fell to Sinner in the 2025 final after 20 straight wins there. He also holds two US Open titles (2022, 2025) and two French Open crowns (2024, 2025 over Zverev and Sinner, respectively).
The final drew 730,000 U.S. viewers on ESPN, a 57% increase from 2025 and the most since Federer's 2017 win over Nadal. Alcaraz's marketability soars, with experts predicting billionaire status akin to Roger Federer, bolstered by deals with Nike, Rolex, BMW, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, and Evian. However, he withdrew from the Rotterdam Open to recover, citing exertions from the fortnight Down Under.
Debates rage on Alcaraz's place among all-time greats. John McEnroe suggested he could reach 20 Slams, but former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski called it premature, hailing Djokovic's 24 majors and longevity as the GOAT benchmark.
