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He is 18 months younger than fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal was when he set the previous record with his win at the 2010 US Open. Alcaraz joins an exclusive group of men to have won all four majors: Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Nadal fittingly watched Alcaraz’s crowning moment from the front row at Rod Laver Arena, following Federer headlining the Australian Open’s new opening ceremony on tournament eve.
The sport had never seen anything like the “Big Three” era, during which Federer, Nadal and Djokovic each won at least 20 grand slam titles to comfortably eclipse the one-time record-holder Pete Sampras’ 14 major trophies.
However, with 38-year-old Djokovic still on the chase to be the first man or woman to win 25 slam titles, Alcaraz has emerged as another all-time talent – and some are daring to predict he might end up the greatest of them all.
Djokovic, in a gracious post-match speech, was effusive in his praise of the young champion.
“What you’ve been doing; the best word to describe it is historic, legendary,” he told Alcaraz, who pushed back at being labelled a legend so soon.
Alcaraz hugs his team following his Australian Open triumph.Credit: Eddie Jim
“I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your career – you’re so young, so you have a lot of time, like myself, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other many more times in the next 10 years.”
Djokovic this year matched Federer’s record of 21 main draw appearances at Melbourne Park, and in an emotion-charged speech he thanked his fans for their support and said his career had been “a great ride”. He told Serbian media that he still wanted to play until the 2028 Olympics, but that nothing was guaranteed.
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“I have belief, and I always have confidence and vision to win a slam, another slam anywhere, to win anywhere I play, but I did not expect it. That’s different,” Djokovic said.
“I lowered my expectations the last couple of years, which also, I think, allows me to be able to let go of some of that unnecessary additional stress … I don’t want to be overwhelmed by it. It also feels good a little bit not being always the main favourite to win slams, and it gives you a little bit of that extra motivation.”
This was a significant statement for Alcaraz after his much-scrutinised decision to split with his long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December, a move critics believed might backfire on him.
Instead, he achieved something he never did under Ferrero – conquering Melbourne.
Alcaraz largely cruised through his first four matches of the event, and was only two points from a straight-sets passage to the final when he was besieged by cramping against German star Alexander Zverev.
He somehow pushed Zverev to tie-breakers in the third and fourth sets, but looked headed for the exit when the world No.3 walked out to serve at 5-3 in the decider.
Novak Djokovic was gracious in defeat.Credit: AP
But Alcaraz’s refusal to give up, and ability to drive Zverev to exhaustion, saw the Spaniard pull off one of the most remarkable victories of his young career across almost five-and-a-half hours of brutal physicality.
The assumption was he would face his great rival, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, for a fourth consecutive major final, but a gutsy Djokovic summoned his unparalleled belief and fight to win his own four-hour epic and book a battle against an opponent 16 years his junior.
There was further trouble for Alcaraz in Sunday night’s final when an inspired Djokovic started the match in white-hot form and made his younger foe look second-rate.
Djokovic said post-match that his opening-set performance was one of the best sets he had played in the last couple of years.
Perhaps, Alcaraz took some time to get his body moving again after his physical torture, but the strong Serbian contingent inside the arena were in raptures as their idol Djokovic turned back the clock to dominate the baseline with some glorious shot-making and defence.
Not even a pair of stylish drop-shot winners could spare Alcaraz from conceding the opening break in the fourth game, buoying the super-veteran’s dream of another slam title – three years after his last on the same court.
The friendly rivals show their respect for each other post match.Credit: AP
Djokovic’s rocket-launcher forehand on the penultimate point of the first set pierced an outstretched Alcaraz’s defences before he followed up with an extreme angle on the next to secure the set. Incredibly, the former world No.1 won 17 of the 23 points to that moment on the money rallies between zero and four shots.
There was nothing at that stage to suggest what was about to come, but there were early signs of promise for Alcaraz in the second set, even if they were only baby steps initially.
He went from struggling to hang with Djokovic from the baseline in the opening set to finding a foothold in the odd rally. Alcaraz’s play looked better, but he needed some scoreboard evidence – and it was not far away.
The aforementioned net-tape winner meant Djokovic slipped to 15-30, then a point later he was facing his first break point. After making near-enough to 80 per cent of his first serves in that dazzling 33-minute opener, he stumbled when he needed it most, then fluffed a surprise serve-volley attempt.
It was the infusion of confidence that Alcaraz needed. As his standard soared, Djokovic went the other way, including conceding another break and the set when dumping an uncharacteristic backhand return into the net.
The Serb left the court in an attempt to reset, but could not arrest Alcaraz’s momentum – or get his own game back on track.
Alcaraz holds the spoils of victory aloft while Djokovic gets acquainted with the runners-up silverware for the first time at the AO.Credit: AP
Waywardness on back-to-back points cost Djokovic the break in the fifth game of the third set, continuing his downward spiral. Alcaraz never let him back in, dropping only six points on serve for the entire set as he edged within a set of a maiden championship in Australia.
Djokovic rallied from 0-40 and staved off six breaks in total to hold serve in his opening service game of the fourth set, but it was a temporary stay of execution.
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That said, he made one last move at four-all in the fourth set. Djokovic knew it might have been his final shot, too, spending the game igniting his followers on his way to earning a rare break point. But Djokovic winced after misfiring on a forehand.
Alcaraz wriggled out of trouble, then landed a telling blow in the 12th game of the set when he came out on top in a bruising 24-shot rally that left Djokovic on his haunches.
Nadal nodded with approval from the stands. The match wasn’t over then and there, but it might as well as have been. Minutes later, a Djokovic forehand sailed across the baseline to spark wild celebrations as Alcaraz fell to the court then soon after embraced his team while continuing his rapid ascent to greatness.
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