Novak Djokovic was unable to crown two impressive weeks in Melbourne with a historic triumph, missing out on a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title that would have also made him the oldest Grand Slam champion in history (38 years and 255 days).
The Serbian was defeated in the Australian Open final by top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who completed a comeback to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 and become the youngest champion of the season’s first Grand Slam.
“Carlos, congratulations! An incredible tournament, incredible two weeks. To your coach, your team, your family – this is history, this is legendary. You are so young, just like me, and I hope you continue like this for the next ten years. I have to thank my team – you pushed me, gave me amazing support throughout the tournament. This is a great achievement, and my success is also yours. Thank you to everyone who showed me love, positivity, and support here. I couldn’t believe that I could stand here with such a talented young player,” Novak said at the ceremony.
The opening stages of the match were marked by Novak’s composure and tactical clarity, as he controlled the rallies and dictated play. Alcaraz struggled to find rhythm or answers early on, while Novak steadily built his advantage. The first break came in the fourth game, and Djokovic delivered the decisive blow late in the set with another break, wrapping up the opener 6-2 after 33 minutes.
In the following two sets, Novak’s level dipped, with fluctuations on serve and a rising number of unforced errors. Fatigue became apparent, and the 22-year-old Alcaraz took full advantage, imposing his pace and intensity. The Spaniard secured two breaks in each of the next two sets to turn the match around and take a 2-1 lead in sets.
In the fourth set, Djokovic showed resilience, saving six break points in the third game, but at 4-4 failed to convert a chance to strike first. Alcaraz punished the missed opportunity, breaking serve in the final game to close out the match and claim his first Australian Open title in Melbourne.
The final lasted three hours and two minutes, marking Novak’s first defeat in an Australian Open final after ten previous titles.
Statistics: aces (4-9), double faults (2-2), winners (32-36), unforced errors (46-27), total points won (106-118).
Reaching the Australian Open final will move Novak up one spot in the ATP rankings, where, starting Monday, February 2, he will be in third place with 5,280 ATP points. Alcaraz is first with 13,650 points, and Sinner is second with 10,300.
Photo: Profimedia
