Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest player in history to complete the collection of titles Grand Slams. In the final of the Australian Open he denied Novak Djokovic the 25th place. Major-Title. And Alcaraz still has a lot planned.
Novak Djokovic saw the opportunity. He had just scored the first point in his opponent Carlos Alcaraz’s service game when the score was 4:4 in the fourth set. The audience, most of them on the side of the ten-time Australian Open winner, was blown out of their seats. Animated by Djokovic, who seemed fitter again at this point. He clenched his fist and hit balls that seemed impossible to reach. “Nole Nole” chants acted like a stimulant for the 38-year-old.
“I got the energy and momentum back. I asked the audience for help. They helped me. And then a mistake on the breakball. My forehand failed me in the important points“, said the dejected final loser in the press conference shortly after the match. His opponent Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, held his serve to make it 5:4. Almost 20 minutes later, this final was over. Djokovic weakly put a forehand out of bounds, Alcaraz let himself fall, overwhelmed by emotions. He had won the final.
Carlos Alcaraz sinks to the ground after the historic victory.
Alcaraz is the youngest player with Career Grand Slam
He put himself in the greatest company at a young age. Only five players had managed to win all four Grand Slams in their careers. Rod Laver, of course, who achieved this feat in one year, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz joins us when he’s not even 23 years old. He is already one of the greats in this sport. Novak Djokovic also emphasized this in his speech at the award ceremony. His first words as a loser in the final at the Australian Open: “Historic is the best word for what you did. It’s legendary.”
The match had been charged with a meaning in advance that it could not serve. On the one hand, Alcaraz, who was the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam with a victory. On the other hand, Djokovic and his hunt for the 25 major title. It became a match between two players who were still feeling their semi-finals. Djokovic more than Alcaraz. The Serb, famous in the past for being able to free himself from even the most hopeless situations, was 38 years old.
Djokovic’s energy level drops after his “best set in years”
Actually, the stars were favorable for the 24-time Grand Slam winner over the 14 days. A bye in the round of 16 (Jakub Mensik was unable to compete due to injury), the abandonment of Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals when Djokovic was already far behind. But in the final, despite a lightning start in the first set, he was no longer able to find an extra gear: “The first set was the best I’ve played in recent years. But in the second set my energy level went completely down.”
In the end, youth wins against age more often than the other way around. Regeneration abilities decrease as lifespan increases, which is no different than sleep or a glass of wine in a semifinal match that lasted over four hours and ended less than 48 hours before the final.
22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz (l.) and 38-year-old Novak Djokovic
Alcaraz is more serious and efficient than before
The much-publicized separation from long-term coach Juan Carlos Ferrero didn’t hurt the 22-year-old Alcaraz in the days in Melbourne. On the contrary. Samuel Lopez, who was also part of the Alcaraz team during his time with Ferrero, is a quiet worker. The two know each other very well and their collaboration seems very familiar. Alcaraz appeared serious, the playfulness of last year giving way to remarkable efficiency.
Of course the joy of playing is still there. With his creativity he solves most of the tasks his opponents give him. The fact that he still won in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev despite major physical problems also underlines his toughness. Alcaraz is not one to keep his head down when things get complicated. He is one of the best, if not the best, in all facets of the game.
Will Alcaraz break all records?
At the age of just 23, Roger Federer had won three Grand Slams, Rafael Nadal six and Novak Djokovic only one major title. Alcaraz has now won seven Grand Slams. Apart from Jannik Sinner, there is currently no one who can play at this level for more than two weeks.
Both finalists emphasized in their on-court speeches how honored they were that Nadal had attended their final.
If the Spaniard plays as long as his three great predecessors, he has a great chance of winning 25 Grand Slams. However, it makes little sense to look that far ahead. The “Big 3” Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have pushed the limits of what is possible as a tennis professional. Even these days it’s not common for people to be able to play at the highest level over the age of 35.
Finding the motivation to continue investing everything to stay at the top is a feat in itself. It takes competition to push yourself. Alcaraz has sinners. More opponents will be needed in the future. At Alcaraz, however, it currently looks as if his desire for the game and winning is so overwhelming that he doesn’t care who the opponents are. Novak Djokovic emphasized this in his press conference shortly after the end of the match: “The results are already proof of his outstanding career. I can’t find any more superlatives. He deserves every recognition he receives from his colleagues and the tennis community.”
After the match, Novak Djokovic was full of praise for his opponent, who is 16 years his junior
Alcaraz still has a lot to do
He rejected the idea that he might lose motivation at a young age after all his successes. Quite the opposite. In the press conference he already formulated a declaration of war on his competition: “I hate losing. I try to lose as little as possible. There are still so many tournaments that I would like to win at least once.”
It sounds like a threat. Carlos Alcaraz is far from fed up.
