02/01/26 11:58:00
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02/01 11:57 CST Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest man to complete a career Grand
Slam. Is a calendar Slam next?
Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Is a
calendar Slam next?
By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- Carlos Alcaraz had Novak Djokovic across the net
from him and Rafael Nadal watching from above in Rod Laver Arena.
His inspiration, and his idol.
Alcaraz had visions of this as a kid --- not entirely long ago, in the scheme
of things --- so there was no better time to show them what he'd learned from
watching the two all-time greats, or borrowed from their aura.
He had a comeback, four-set win over Djokovic and walked away from the
Australian Open final Sunday as the youngest man ever to complete a career
Grand Slam --- that's winning all four of the tennis majors.
At 22 and 272 days of age, he's considerably younger than Nadal (24) and
Djokovic (29) were when they achieved that milestone, lowering a mark that Don
Budge set in 1938 when he was a couple of days shy of his 23rd birthday.
No sooner had he completed the career Slam --- adding his first victory in
Australia to his two each at Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open ---
than the question was posed about a run at the calendar Grand Slam. That's all
four major titles in one season, something no man has achieved since Rod Laver
in 1969.
"Those are big words, to be honest," said Alcaraz, the two-time defending
champion at Roland Garros. "You know, I just want it to be one at a time. Right
now next one is French Open. I have great memories in that tournament. I feel
really special every time that I go there.
"I don't want to put myself in a really pressure position to have to do it, but
you know, it's going to be great. Right now I will try to be ready ... to play
a good tournament in the next Grand Slam."
A set down after Djokovic's opening salvo, Alcaraz channeled the legends and
changed up his game to upset the rhythm. It worked. He's now the only man to
capture seven major titles before his 23rd birthday.
Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the majors since Djokovic won the last
of his 24 Grand Slam titles at the 2023 U.S. Open, with one or the other
winning the last nine.
Sinner was aiming for a third consecutive title in Australia, but lost in five
sets to 10-time Australian champion Djokovic in the semifinals.
There were many who questioned the decision when Alcaraz and long-time coach
Juan Carlos Ferrero parted ways after the young Spaniard won the last U.S.
Open, and who doubted his chances of being ready to win a first title in
Australia.
Samuel Lopez stepped up to head the team, and Alcaraz admitted the pre-season
had been "a roller coaster for me emotionally."
"A lot of people were having doubts about my level in this tournament," he
said. "Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting
the trophy (but) couldn't go further than quarterfinals."
In 2026, he said he arrived at Melbourne Park "hungry for more, ambitious for
getting the trophy, and being strong mentally enough, not hearing anything or
any words" from critics.
"And then just playing good tennis in this tournament means a lot, means the
world to me," he said, "and it is a dream come true for me."
With his latest bid for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title stymied,
Djokovic could at least joke about the 16-year age gap between himself and
Alcaraz.
"Well, first time I played him, he was, what, 11 or 12 years old?" he said,
smiling. "No, he was, I think, 18 or 19. You could already see that he's
destined for great things.
"He has improved physically, mentally, game-wise. I mean, he's constantly
looking to innovate himself and his game, which is exactly the kind of
mentality that needs to be nurtured for a champion."
Asked about the potential for Alcaraz to be ranked among the greats of the
sport, Djokovic said the career Grand Slam is "a testament to his already
stellar career."
"Of course, already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in
the history books of tennis," he added. "Everything is possible in his case, no
question about it." -__
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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