Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the Australian Open with one clear ambition: to conquer the only Grand Slam that has so far eluded him and, in doing so, carve his name into tennis history.
At just 22, the world number one already owns major titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Victory at Melbourne Park would complete the career Grand Slam and make Alcaraz the youngest man to achieve the feat, eclipsing Don Budge, who sealed his collection shortly before his 23rd birthday in 1938. Alcaraz turns 23 on May 5.
“I would rather win my first Australian Open than retain my French Open and US Open titles next year,” Carlos Alcaraz said in November, a remark that underlined the significance he places on success in Melbourne.
A first Australian Open crown would also be his seventh Grand Slam title overall, another milestone that would see him become the youngest man in history to reach that mark. Yet despite his global dominance, Australia has remained a stubborn blind spot. Quarterfinal appearances in the past two editions are the furthest he has advanced, with Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev ending his campaigns.
This year’s tournament carries additional intrigue following Alcaraz’s abrupt split from long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The former world number one guided him from teenage prodigy to multiple Grand Slam champion over seven years, and their separation has been one of the most talked-about developments of the new season. Neither side has offered public explanation, leaving questions about how Alcaraz will fare without the man who helped shape his tactical maturity.
The timing is significant. Alcaraz enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, winning two Grand Slam titles and reclaiming the world number one ranking, but the Australian Open will be the first major test of his revamped support team under the sport’s most intense spotlight.
Ferrero played a central role in helping Alcaraz solve the puzzle posed by his greatest rival, Jannik Sinner. After Sinner dethroned him at Wimbledon last year, the pair held a focused training camp designed to break down the Italian’s game, adjustments that paid off when Alcaraz defeated Sinner in four sets in the US Open final.
Despite that result, Sinner arrives in Melbourne as the defending champion and bookmakers’ favourite. The 24-year-old Italian, who is chasing a third consecutive Australian Open title, is expected to unveil his own refinements after finishing 2025 with 58 wins and just six losses.
The rivalry has come to define the men’s game. Between them, Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles, four apiece, since Novak Djokovic captured his 24th major at the 2023 US Open. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 10–6 and reclaimed the year-end world number one ranking, but Melbourne remains Sinner’s strongest hunting ground.
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Beyond the Italian, it is difficult to identify many players capable of halting Alcaraz’s charge. Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open champion, eliminated him here last year but was soundly beaten in their most recent meeting at the US Open. Now 38, the Serb arrives with fitness questions as he continues his pursuit of a record-breaking 25th major title.
Others, including Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and a talented chasing pack, will hope to exploit any vulnerability, but the spotlight remains firmly fixed on Alcaraz and his quest to complete tennis’s most demanding set.
Conquering Melbourne would not only close the final gap in Alcaraz’s résumé but potentially set the stage for an audacious pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam in the seasons ahead. For now, though, all roads lead to Melbourne Park- and to the one trophy that continues to stand between Carlos Alcaraz and tennis immortality.
