It sometimes takes years for the truly great players to complete the career Grand Slam. Having dominated at other majors, there is always one that trips them up.
MORE: Alcaraz v Djokovic match statistics
For Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, they waited several years to taste Roland Garros success, while for Rafael Nadal, it took him eight attempts to win the US Open.
On Sunday night at Australian Open 2026, Carlos Alcaraz completed the set in record time, becoming the youngest man to achieve the career Slam at 22 years and eight months.
Opposing Djokovic, who had won the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup 10 times in as many finals, the Spaniard dented the 38-year-old’s dominance at Melbourne Park with a 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 victory.
This is how Alcaraz created history.
Worked harder for longer
Friday’s extraordinary semifinals were always going to physically impact both finalists.
Alcaraz battled it out in the longest Australian Open semifinal of all time against Alexander Zverev during the day, while Djokovic competed in his own lengthy encounter against two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner at night.
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The Spaniard’s intensity was amplified on Sunday night, completing 48 sprints compared to Djokovic’s 22. While Alcaraz is known for his explosive speed, that number is 10 sprints above his tournament average.
As this could usually be a case of an opponent working you around the court, which Djokovic tried with his wide serve combined with a forehand that further stretched Alcaraz, the world No.1 returned these follow-up forehands. This helped Alcaraz extend the point, the importance of which we’ll get to.
A significant turning point in the match was in the third set, when Alcaraz amassed 19 sprints to six, which included two instances where he used his freakish court coverage to win the point.
Patience
Good things come to those who wait, so the saying goes.
Alcaraz weathered the opening-set flurry from Djokovic, who won five of six rallies over eight shots during that time.
Djokovic has made a living out of being patient and continuously chipping away at his opponent throughout a rally, before striking when they least expect it.
However, this was Djokovic’s downfall on Sunday night. Alcaraz won 14 long rallies to nine in the final three sets, ultimately evening out this statistic.
After the Spaniard seemed less patient throughout these rallies in the first set, it was Djokovic who then tried to force winners. Locked in crosscourt backhand-to-backhand rallies, on numerous occasions Djokovic tried sending a backhand down the line to shift the point, only to hit the ball long or into the net.
Djokovic’s errors
It was an uncharacteristic night for Djokovic in terms of committing unforced errors.
Feeling the need to maintain the high level he presented in his first set, Djokovic was unable to rein in his shots. The Serbian recorded 46 unforced errors throughout the four-set match, his most for the tournament – more than his 42 in Friday night’s five-set semifinal.
Averaging 28 unforced errors at AO 2026 before the final, Djokovic was on track to be well under that number following his 6-2 opening set, where he committed just four.
However, as Alcaraz began to take control in the long rallies, Djokovic started making more unforced errors with 31 in the final two sets.
Second-serve turnaround
Playing in his first Australian Open final against a man who has never lost one at Melbourne Park proved to be a daunting task for Alcaraz in the beginning.
Hence, points on second serve would be vital for Alcaraz if he wanted to draw first blood. However, with extra pace on the ball – serving at 170km/h compared to an average of 166km/h throughout the tournament – Djokovic was able to attack.
Alcaraz won just one of eight points on his second serve in the first set, before making some changes in the second set.
Slowing his second-serve speed to 159km/h for the second set was enough for Alcaraz to change the rhythm during these points. Winning all six points on his second serve, this was one of the key areas for Alcaraz to level the match at one set all.
Upping his speed in the final two sets, the 22-year-old managed to maintain a steady level, winning 62 per cent of his second-serve points, leading him to his first Australian Open crown.