Alcaraz vs Djokovic history! 2026 Australian Open Men’s Singles Final – Tennis Now

One thing is certain: Sunday’s showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will have a historic outcome. Either Djokovic pulls off an upset and becomes the first tennis player in history to win 25 Grand Slam titles and is the oldest Grand Slam champion in history in the Open era, or Alcaraz wins and becomes the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam title and the youngest player to win seven Grand Slam titles.

The tenth meeting between the two men in their careers was a rematch of last year’s Australian Open quarter-finals, with Djokovic winning in four sets. It was also the sixth meeting between the two idols at a Grand Slam (Alcaraz led 3-2).

Recovery will be a major theme. Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in five hours and 27 minutes after suffering cramps in five sets to reach his first Australian Open final, while Djokovic needed more than four hours to complete his epic victory over two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, both needing to shake off the fatigue of their semi-finals.

It might be more difficult for the 38-year-old Djokovic, who is more susceptible to Grand Slam tennis, but the wild card is Alcaraz, who endured a unique and painful battle with cramps against Zverev in the semifinals. Whether there are any lasting issues remains to be seen – we’ll find out on Sunday.

If both players recover well, we’re looking at a potential instant classic. After Djokovic reached the quarter-finals with Lorenzo Musetti, no one would have expected this. He had a mediocre performance in that match, falling two sets behind at one point, but the Italian was forced to withdraw due to an adductor injury.

Two nights later, another Djokovic took the court against Sinner. He was hungry and focused, playing some of his best tennis in the past year and a half. After his victory over Sinner, he acknowledged that his motivation may be mysteriously lingering at this point in his career, but he also addressed the fact that he’s spent the offseason preparing for the big challenges of Sinner and Alcaraz. That’s the vision in his head, and the ten-time Australian Open champion played against Sinner like a man pursuing that vision.

If he can play the same timely tennis and stingy serve, there’s no reason why he can’t go toe-to-toe with Alcaraz.

How Djokovic wins: Key serves

The 38-year-old Djokovic cannot afford to participate in a five-hour physical marathon. He must rely on his “live serve” – ​​hitting the target perfectly to win free points – and keep his service games short to conserve energy for the final stages of the match.

How Alcaraz wins: Physicality, improvisation and execution

Alcaraz is 16 years younger and should adopt a tough, improvisational style of play if he has fully recovered from Friday’s trauma. If he can use the variety of push and pull to change the rhythm and height of the ball, he can prevent Djokovic from locking down the baseline. His goal should be to make Djokovic defend a lot more than he wants. And hit the target while doing so.

Djokovic VS Alcaraz (Djokovic leads 5-4)

What’s the danger?

For Djokovic, reaching the final at the age of 38 is a landmark achievement. If he can go one step further and win his 25th Grand Slam title, he will become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion and further solidify his GOAT status (not that he needs it).

Most Grand Slam men’s singles titles in the Open Era

For Alcaraz, becoming the youngest player to win the coveted career Grand Slam will capture the imagination of the sporting world. He would also become the youngest man to win seven Grand Slam titles, potentially heralding one of the greatest careers in men’s tennis history. He turns 23 on May 5.

Players who completed the men’s singles career Grand Slam (history)

what are they talking about

Djokovic: “Every time we play, history is at stake for both of us. A Grand Slam final, you know, there’s a lot at stake, but it’s no different than any other big tournament I’ve been to. My preparation is as good as it should be, and I beat him in a tough match last year as well. Let’s see. Let’s see how fresh we both can be.

“He also played a big match, but he has 15, 16 years ahead of me. You know, biologically, I think it will be easier for him to recover. But, yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I play tennis mainly to be able to get to a Grand Slam final. I’m here, so I can’t complain about anything.”

Alcaraz: “Obviously I’m tired. You know, honestly, obviously my body could be better, but I think after five and a half hours that’s normal. So I’m doing everything I can to just try to get better and feel better tomorrow. I’m going to be with the physio now and we’ll see.

“Hopefully it won’t be nothing, but after five and a half hours of racing and a high level of fitness, I think the muscles are going to be tight and I have to do everything I can to perform at my best in the final.”

Notes and figures

Djokovic (38 years, 255 days old) and Alcaraz (22 years, 272 days old) will reach the Grand Slam final for the third time. This game has the second largest age gap in the Grand Slam men’s singles finals in the Open era. The largest age gap in a Grand Slam final in the Open era was 17 years and 304 days between Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors in the 1974 Wimbledon and 1974 U.S. Open finals.

If Alcaraz wins, the last nine Grand Slam singles titles will go to either Alcaraz or Sinner. The longest winning streak among consecutive Grand Slam champions belongs to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who won 11 consecutive Grand Slam titles from the 2005 French Open to the end of 2007. Djokovic ended their winning streak at the 2008 Australian Open, winning his first title in Melbourne.

Djokovic achieved a 10-0 record in the Australian Open finals. This is his 38th Grand Slam men’s singles final, seven more than anyone else.