World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz created history on Sunday by becoming the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam after winning his maiden Australian Open title.
The 22-year-old Spaniard achieved the milestone with a four-set victory over Serbian great Novak Djokovic in the final at Melbourne, clinching his seventh Grand Slam singles title. Alcaraz won the contest 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours and two minutes.
With the triumph, Alcaraz became only the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. The Australian Open title was also his first final appearance at the Melbourne major since making his tournament debut.
What is a Career Grand Slam?
In men’s tennis, a Career Grand Slam is achieved when a player wins all four major singles titles at least once during their career — the Australian Open, French Open (Roland Garros), Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Unlike a calendar-year Grand Slam, the titles do not need to be won in the same year. Completing the Career Grand Slam is considered one of the rarest and most prestigious achievements in professional tennis.
Only four players had previously completed the Career Grand Slam in the 21st century, with Djokovic achieving the feat in 2016, followed by Rafael Nadal in 2010 and Roger Federer in 2009. Alcaraz’s achievement at the age of 22 places him among the sport’s elite at an unprecedented stage of his career.
In the Open Era, the list of men who have completed the Career Grand Slam includes Carlos Alcaraz at 22 years and 272 days, Rod Laver at 24 years and 32 days, Rafael Nadal at 24 years and 102 days, Roger Federer at 27 years and 303 days, Novak Djokovic at 29 years and 15 days, and Andre Agassi at 29 years and 68 days. Laver had earlier completed the Career Grand Slam as an amateur in 1962 and again in the Open Era in 1969.
Alcaraz also became the youngest man in the Open Era to win seven Grand Slam singles titles, surpassing Bjorn Borg, who achieved his seventh major title at the 1979 French Open.
The Spaniard’s rise began with his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, a victory that also made him the youngest World No. 1 in ATP rankings history since rankings were introduced in 1973. He went on to win Wimbledon in 2023 and successfully defend the title in 2024. At Roland Garros, Alcaraz lifted the trophy in both 2024 and 2025, further cementing his dominance across surfaces.
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