Carlos Alcaraz talks to the press after his win against Taylor Fritz in Japan Open 2025 Final | Image Credits: IMAGO/ ZUMA Press Wire
Carlos Alcaraz is only 22 years old and has already won six Grand Slam titles.
Alcaraz won his first Major in 2022, when he defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open. Since then, he has collected five more—one each at the French Open and US Open, and two at Wimbledon.
This leaves the Australian Open as the only Grand Slam tournament the Spaniard hasn’t been able to capture since turning pro in 2018. He is destined to achieve great feats in the next decade, but his immediate goal is the Career Grand Slam, which is to win all the Majors in a professional career.
“It is a really good goal for me to complete the Career Grand Slam,” Alcaraz told Tennis Channel. “I am really looking forward to winning Australia one day. I am really excited. The good point for me is that it’s the first Grand Slam. I start the season straight away playing a Grand Slam, which could be tricky with no competition rhythm.”
Since debuting in the Melbourne main draw in 2021, the 22-year-old has not been able to reach even the semi-finals. He produced two runs to the quarter-finals in 2024 and this year, losing to Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, respectively.
Completing the Career Grand Slam is no small feat. In the Open Era, only five men have succeeded in winning each Major at least once in their careers. Rod Laver did it first in 1969, when he also completed the Calendar Grand Slam.
Andre Agassi matched Laver’s record 30 years later by winning the French Open in 1999. Roger Federer completed his set in 2009 at the same tournament as Agassi. Rafael Nadal followed Federer’s suit in 2010, clinching the US Open to join the group. Novak Djokovic became the latest addition to this list in 2016 as he triumphed at Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz has been quite vocal about his Australian Open ambitions lately. He touched upon the same while speaking on El Partidazo de Cope, a Spanish radio programme, during the ATP Finals:
“In 2026, I’d rather win Australia alone than win two repeated Grand Slams.” (via Reuters)
Alcaraz has finished the 2025 season as the World No. 1, but he sees a lot of room for improvement in his game ahead of 2026.
“I’m far from being the best player in tennis or overall,” he continued. “There are still many players who can beat me and I've lost to many players. I'm not the best, despite the ranking showing that I am.”
As things stand, Novak Djokovic is the all-time leader of Grand Slam triumphs in the Open Era. He has won these tournaments 24 times and might be gearing up for another one.
In men’s tennis, he is followed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer with 22 and 20 Major titles, respectively. Having won six, Carlos Alcaraz has completed a quarter of the journey to Djokovic’s current tally of 24. Though he wants to overtake the Serbian.
“I’d sign for 23 Grand Slams without thinking twice, right now,” Alcaraz noted in his El Partidazo de Cope interview. “I want to be the one who wins the most, I want to surpass Djokovic, but 23? That's no joke.
“That’s a goal for the end of my career: to see that I can sit at that table with Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic, and that people also think I deserve to sit at their table at the end of my career.”
The Spaniard's quest starts afresh at the Australian Open in January next year.