The final stages of the Australian Open caused a stir around the sporting world and the viewing figures for the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic confirm that interest was booming in America.
The final between a player looking to become the youngest to complete a career Grand Slam and the legend aiming to win his record-breaking 25th major title was a storyline that was hard to resist and now the viewing figures from the all-important American audience highlight the impact the match had.
Even though there was not an American involved, the Alcaraz vs Djokovic showdown drew an audience of 730,000 viewers Sunday on ESPN, per Nielsen data. That respects a 57 per-cent increase from last year’s final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, despite a 3:30AM ET start time.
This was the most-watched Australian Open men’s final since 2017, when Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller that drew 1.1 million U.S. viewers.
The women’s final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also saw a slight increase in viewers, drawing 487,000 viewers, which was an eight per-cent increase from 2025, even though American star Madison Keys was involved as she beat Sabalenka.
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Alcaraz’s win has ensured his status as one of the most marketable athletes in the world has been enhanced, with brand expert Jack Kenney-Herbert from Sid Lee in London telling Tennis365 that the Spaniard is now at the peak of his commercial powers.
“Carlos Alcaraz is the perfect commercial storm: a Career Grand Slam winner at 22 with a digital footprint the ‘Big Three’ never had starting out,” he told Tennis365.
“His rumoured signature logo with Nike signals that he has already transcended the sport and is a bona fide global icon. His brand value has never been higher and – given his age and the current riches on offer – he will eclipse traditional earning ceilings to become the most marketable athlete of his generation.
“If he maintains his on-court dominance for another five years, and continues to make sound off-court investments, he isn’t just chasing titles; he is on a direct trajectory to join Roger Federer as tennis’s second billionaire.”
Alcaraz already has sponsorship agreements in place with Rolex, BMW, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and Evian and after his latest achievement, most of those deals will pay out a bonus and increase in value when contract renewal discussions are on the agenda.
Now there are plans to launch an Alcaraz signature brand with Nike that will see the 22-year-old join the likes of Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan with his own range of apparel and that is just the start of his potential.
He could not be on course to follow in the footsteps of the great Roger Federer, who is hailed as the first tennis billionaire.
The end Federer’s partnership with Nike gave him a chance to accept an offer to become a shareholder in what was then a relatively modest footwear brand On, with his presence as a brand leader propelling the company to rapid growth.
The Federer endorsement has seen On build into a powerhouse in their field and they were recently valued at $20billion, with Federer’s slice of the company thought to be worth as much as $1billion.
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