Whatever happens on Sunday, and whoever wins, the Australian Open final between world number one Carlos Alcaraz and ten-time Melbourne champion Novak Djokovic will be part of tennis history.
Legendary challenges gather at the Rod Laver Arena. That of the Spaniard, who intends to win the Australian Open for the first time and round out his harvest of major tournaments and become the youngest to achieve the Grand Slam; and that of the Serbian, determined, at more than 38 years old, to achieve twenty-five ‘majors’, more than anyone else, and, thus, extend his advantage over Rafael Nadal, with twenty-two, and Roger Federer, with twenty, in the men’s category and surpass the legendary Margaret Court in the absolute ranking, with whom he maintains equality.
AFP
Alcaraz clings to destiny and, after beating the German Alexander Zverev in a final that he clearly won and then almost lost, in the longest semifinal in the history of the tournament, he now encounters Djokovic, the best player in history, voracious, tireless and incombustible.
The Serbian has intervened in the new tennis classic, the duels between Sinner and Alcaraz in the fight for the big titles. In fact, it could also get in the way of their historic dominance if they manage to win on Sunday.
The Murcian and the Italian, who monopolized the last three major finals of 2025 – Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the United States Open – have shared the last eight Grand Slam trophies. Four for the Italian and as many for the Spanish between 2024 and 2025. 2026 has started differently, with Djokovic as an intruder. The Balkan, who refuses to say goodbye professionally, intends to win a title again. He hasn’t done it since the final of the 2023 United States Open. Afterwards, the successes have been a matter of two.
Carlos Alcaraz has started a new era in his career. In addition to strengthening aspects of his game, especially his serve, he is without Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been his coach for seven years. It is under the control of Samuel López, who acted as second although he already accompanied him to tournaments with some frequency in the past.
The Murcian, who will leave Melbourne, no matter what happens, consolidated in number one and with a greater advantage over Sinner, who dropped points after losing in the semifinals, has before him the most successful player in history and with whom he has already played nine times, some of them the most special, with painful results.
Especially in the memory of the Murcian is the Olympic final, in Paris 2024, when he was aiming for the gold medal that the Serbian won, and the quarterfinal duel in this same tournament, at the Australian Open last year, when a match that he had more than on track escaped him.
Furthermore, face to face with the Balkan is adverse. They have played nine times and Djokovic won five, including Melbourne in 2025 and the semifinal of Roland Garros in 2023. But Alcaraz has also enjoyed his great moments against the winner of twenty-four majors, such as the finals of Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024 and the semifinal of the United States Open last year, the last time the two met. Then, the Murcian won in three sets (6-4, 7-6(4) and 6-2).
“This situation reminds me a lot of what Rafa did in 2009, when he had that incredible match with Verdasco and everyone doubted whether he could play in the final, and he ended up winning in five sets against Federer. I’m not saying that he’s going to do the same, but I think that in a Grand Slam final you can’t say that you’re tired. The adrenaline that is generated is going to carry me away if I manage to do things well in these next few hours,” Carlos argued after beating Zverev and placing himself in the Australian Open final for the first time which, among other things, has a prize of $4,150,000 at stake.
Alcaraz had to beat the Australian Adam Walton in the first round and then the German Yannick Hanfmann; then the Frenchman Corentin Moutet and the American Tommy Paul in the round of 16. To the local Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals and to Zverev in the semifinals. “I’m very happy to play my first final in Melbourne. It was something I was really looking forward to,” he said.
Only against the German did he leave two sets in his journey through the draw, in which he needed more than 16 and a half hours on the court; more than three hours than his rival on Sunday.
Djokovic, fireproof
The Serbian Novak Djokovic stood up to all the “experts” who gave him up and, with a great victory over Jannik Sinner, in five sets and after four hours and ten minutes, he returned a year later, from the 2024 Wimbledon final that he lost with Alcaraz, to the final of a major.
The 38-year-old player from Belgrade aims to end the recent spell in the Grand Slams of more than two seasons ago, since he won his twenty-fourth crown at the 2023 United States Open. Although he was later an Olympic champion, he has been unsuccessful on the circuit since that time in New York. Last year, 2025, he was a semi-finalist in all of them. But he didn’t give it much more.
Novak Djokovic is now one step away from becoming the oldest winner in the tournament’s history. He has already won ten in Melbourne and has every hope of becoming the most successful tennis player, man or woman, in this sport.
The Serbian has had a lower demand throughout this edition of the first Grand Slam of the season because he had the Czech Jakub Mensik’s non-appearance in the round of 16, due to an abdominal injury, and with that necessary fortune that accompanied him in the quarterfinals when he had two sets down against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who left the match and gave up the victory due to injury.
Djokovic beat the Spanish Pedro Martínez in the first round and then the Italian Francesco Mestrelli. He beat both of them in three rounds, as well as the Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp in the third round. Then came Mensik and Musetti until the even semi-final against Sinner, which took five sets and more than four hours.
The Serbian rehabilitated his expectations by beating the player from San Candido, with whom he had lost in the last five head to head. “Biologically it will be easier for him to recover,” Djokovic said of his effort compared to the one Alcaraz suffered in his match with Alexander Zverev. “My preparation is adequate and I beat him here last year as well. In another long match. Let’s see how we both get there.”
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’m playing tennis so I can reach the Grand Slam finals,” said the Serbian who hopes to round off his performance in Melbourne.
“I know how to perform in important Grand Slam matches where I may not be at the perfect level, but I find a way to prevail over my rival, even if my tennis quality is not close to where I would like,” the Serbian highlighted before the final.
“I’m not surprised by what I’m doing in Melbourne, I know what I’m capable of because I’ve done it many times in my career,” warns the Serbian.
Time and where to watch Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz
Date: Sunday February 1st.
Time: 3:30 am (Colombia time).
Transmission: Disney Plus – ESPN
