Carlos Alcaraz Makes Tennis History

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Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam (Credit: Fiona Hamilton/ CC BY SA-2.0/ Tennis Australia)

On February 1, 2026, Carlos Alcaraz defeated 10-time champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Australian Open title. This was Alcaraz's seventh Grand Slam title. With this victory, he has completed a Career Grand Slam. This means he has won all four major tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.

At 22 years and 272 days, Alcaraz is the youngest player to achieve this. Rafael Nadal, who was present at the match, previously held the record. Nadal was 24 years and 101 days when he completed the feat at the US Open in 2010.

After the match, Alcaraz signed the broadcast camera with a simple message: "Job finished. 4/4 complete."

Alcaraz with his French Open trophy in 2024 (Credit: Vegafi/ CC BY 4.0/ Wikimedia Commons)

Alcaraz’s journey to this historic moment began in the small village of El Palmar, Spain. Born into a tennis-loving family, he picked up a racket at age four under the guidance of his father, a former professional player. At 15, Alcaraz began training at the Equelite Academy with former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. There, he learned to channel his intense energy and focus on the game.

In 2022, the then 19-year-old captured the US Open title, becoming one of the youngest Grand Slam champions in recent history. Two French Open titles, two Wimbledon titles, and a second US Open followed, showing his skill on all surfaces — hard court, grass, and clay. This latest win firmly establishes Alcaraz as one of the world's most accomplished tennis players — and he is just getting started!

Resources: Wikipedia.org, Ausopen.com, NPR.org, CNN.com

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