Carlos Alcaraz has ‘tennis world at his feet’ after overcoming ‘legendary’ Novak Djokovic at Australian Open – but how many Grand Slams can he win?
Published 01/02/2026 at 16:29 GMT
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Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open at the age of just 22 years old. He defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets to write his name in the history books in Melbourne, with Boris Becker, Tim Henman and Jamie Murray quick to pay tribute to the now seven-time major champion as speculation begins over how many majors Alcaraz can win.
'Extraordinary' Alcaraz beats Djokovic to win Australian Open
Video credit: TNT Sports
Carlos Alcaraz has completed the career Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open.
Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in four sets, 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5, to win his seventh major title, and first in Melbourne at the tender age of just 22 years old.
That made him the youngest man to lift all four major trophies, replacing his compatriot Rafael Nadal who managed the feat at 24 and was fittingly watching on from the stands.
"Outstanding," was the first word that came to mind for Boris Becker, who spoke to Eurosport Germany in the wake of the match.
"Huge respect, a really strong performance from Alcaraz. It didn't look like it at the start, because Djokovic played a sensational first set," Becker explained.
"The longer the match went on, the more you got the feeling that Alcaraz was feeling comfortable. The long rallies at the end, when he stood up to his opponent, made it clear to me that Novak's time was slowly running out on this day.
"[Alcaraz] has the tennis world at his feet. He is a very likeable player. The semi-final against Alexander Zverev was hard-fought, but today he was simply outstanding."
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Alcaraz wins 'point of the tournament' after Djokovic hits shot round the net
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alcaraz needed nearly five-and-a-half hours to beat Zverev in their semi-final on Friday, and started Sunday’s final slowly, with Djokovic comfortably taking the opening set.
But the Spaniard was not fazed in the slightest, as he continued to laugh and smile throughout the match, both with his box and the fans.
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His on-court demeanour has earned him plenty of plaudits in the past, and Jamie Murray believes the way he plays the game is one of the reasons he is so popular.
"He’s smiling at his box, he’s smiling after the rallies - that’s why people love him," Murray said.
"They love the fact that he is competing for history, he’s in reality in incredibly stressful moments, tense moments, but he is out there enjoying it, thriving in it and that is why people love him and why he is carrying the sport right now."
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Nadal watches on as Djokovic fights to stay in final
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With Djokovic going for winners at a far higher frequency than normal, the Serb opting for the same aggressive style of play that took him to victory over Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz knew he had to produce his best.
He pulled off some incredible shots from all over the court, getting the crowd - including Nadal - on their feet.
"He’s a performer, he’s out on the stage, he wants to show off his skill set, and he has got so many different types of skills," Tim Henman said after the match.
"His power and explosiveness from the back of the court, he has the drop shot, he can finish points at the net with his volleys, the athletic ability… he just loves to show off what he can do."
Alcaraz now has seven major titles, to draw level with the likes of John McEnroe and Mats Wilander. Djokovic remains on 24 Grand Slams, as he is forced to once again wait for his own slice of history.
But given Alcaraz's age and the fact that Djokovic is in the twilight of his career - plus the youngster proving he can perform across all surfaces - just how many Slams might the Spaniard end up winning?
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'Not unrealistic' to think Alcaraz could challenge Slam record - Henman
Video credit: TNT Sports
"When you reflect on the absolute legends of our sport, and we have one working with us, Mats Wilander, he has seven majors," Henman said.
"Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, they won six majors. John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, we are already talking about Alcaraz going way past that.
"I referenced Pete Sampras, when I was playing he won 14, and I would have bet my bottom dollar no one was going past that, so it is incredible how high the bar has been set.
"Now we are speculating that Alcaraz is going to go to 20 Slams, and is Sinner going to do the same thing?
"Is it unfair [to speculate]? I don’t think so. Is it unrealistic? I don’t think so. It is just going to be very enjoyable for us all to watch."
Laura Robson also had her say about the exciting future for the men's game. "A lot of things will have to go his way, but it is nice that we are even thinking it is a possibility," Robson said.
"How lucky are we to have players still in the sport like this when we thought it couldn’t get any better after the Big Three?"
Becker added that for Djokovic to still be competing with Alcaraz despite the age gap is "legendary".
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Highlights: Alcaraz beats Djokovic to complete career Grand Slam
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Novak Djokovic is a role model for all athletes worldwide, whether it's LeBron James or Tom Brady. The way he approaches the sport, the way he strives," Becker said.
"Carlos Alcaraz is 16 years younger and therefore closer to Novak's children than to him. The fact that he still performs at this world-class level is legendary.
"Carlos is an exceptional young player. He has everything, including the intelligence to play his way into this match. He accepted that Djokovic was the more powerful player at first. Then he changed his tactics as the match progressed.
"I don't know of any player who moves better. But he always has a smile on his face, which makes him so likable and that's why he's so popular."
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The next Grand Slam is the 2026 French Open, which will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+, and starts on May 24.
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