All the greats vividly picture holding a Grand Slam trophy from a young age. Few, though, gain such a crystal-clear picture of the commemorative tattoo they plan to add once their dream becomes reality.
Earmarked for success early, Carlos Alcaraz has never shied from outlining his ambitions with each milestone passed.
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Success came quickly – and with each breakthrough at the respective majors, the body ink.
Even before the Spaniard arrived for his fifth Australian Open campaign, he repeated a vow that an Australia-specific tattoo would be added once he completed the career Grand Slam.
On Sunday night, against the most prolific champion at Melbourne Park, Novak Djokovic, the 22-year-old became the youngest man to achieve the feat.
“Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting the trophy,” Alcaraz said after he saluted 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 over the 24-time major champion.
“Couldn't happen. Couldn't go further than quarterfinals.
“You know, [I came] this year, hungry for more, ambitious for getting the trophy, and being strong mentally enough, not hearing anything or any words from the people. Then just playing good tennis in this tournament means a lot, means the world to me, and it is a dream come true for me.”
Victory had been achieved against a backdrop of uncertainty from those outside his closest group.
Doubters questioned whether this would be his year so soon after his seven-year coaching relationship with Juan Carlos Ferrero ended.
It wasn’t until the quarterfinals against sixth seed Alex de Minaur that he really began to hit his straps, and his campaign almost went awry before he survived the longest Australian Open semifinal in history – a cramp-defying five-hour, 27-minute triumph over third seed Alexander Zverev.
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Few had resisted Father Time’s pressure to quit quite like his final opponent, Djokovic, who at 38, had defied the odds to dethrone Jannik Sinner with his sights set on an improbable 25th Grand Slam crown.
Victory would have made the fourth seed the oldest to win a Grand Slam singles title.
“What he's doing is inspiring. It is inspiring for all the athletes,” Alcaraz said.
“It's not only tennis player but all the athletes, even myself, what he's putting his body and his mind, his life into feel playing a final of a Grand Slam again, going against, you know, every [person] saying that he was not going to play another Grand Slam final or he was not going to beat Jannik or myself.
“Then he comes and playing such great tennis and beating Jannik in the semifinal, and here in the final played such great tennis. So it's unbelievable what he's doing.”
Heartbreaking defeats have been less frequent than most experience, but some of Alcaraz’s most painful had been against the greatest player of all time.
First there was his maiden Roland Garros semifinal in 2023, in which the enormity of the occasion contributed to a cramp-ravaged defeat, then a tearful Cincinnati Masters final loss later that year, having squandered match points.
Who could forget Djokovic’s career-completing gold medal triumph over the Spaniard at the Paris Olympics in 2024, or the quarterfinal boilover at Melbourne Park last year, which derailed Alcaraz’s first attempt at the career Slam?
Two of Alcaraz’s greatest career moments, though – back-to-back Wimbledon titles – also came at the Serbian’s expense.
How fitting that the pair – almost 16 years apart in age – would meet again with so much on the line.
A calendar Grand Slam was now possible, but “a big challenge”, while three ATP Masters 1000 events were yet to be added. A maiden ATP Finals title and a Davis Cup for Spain were also firmly on the agenda.
“What I've learned this year is appreciate and enjoy every single second of the moment you're living,” Alcaraz said. “Not only lifting the trophies, but playing tournaments, playing tennis, getting victories, getting losses. Whatever it is, just enjoy and appreciate the life you're living.
“So right now I'm just trying to have a time to realise what I've been doing … For me it's an honour to put my name on the history books.”
Only five years since he contested and claimed his first Grand Slam main draw win at Melbourne Park as a 17-year-old qualifier, Alcaraz’s seventh major tied him with John McEnroe and Mats Wilander for ninth-most Grand Slam crowns in the Open era.
There would be little time to bask in the achievement before the tour rolls on, but true to his word, time would be made for his next tattoo.
“It's going to be a kangaroo, for sure, a little kangaroo,” he said.
“It's going to be in the leg. I don't know the right, the left one. So I got to choose a good spot, but it's going to be for sure close to the French Open or Wimbledon [tattoo].
“I just have to choose.”