Alcaraz Evens Australian Open Final Against Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz roars back to level the Australian Open final at one set each after Novak Djokovic’s commanding start, setting up a thrilling decider in Melbourne.
In the charged atmosphere of Rod Laver Arena, Carlos Alcaraz has leveled the Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic at 2-6, 6-2. The world No. 1, chasing his first title here to complete the Career Grand Slam at age 22, absorbed an early barrage and struck back with two breaks in the second set. This clash on February 1, 2026, pits the young Spaniard’s explosiveness against the Serb’s unyielding experience, with the crowd sensing a shift toward uncharted drama.
Djokovic seizes control early
Novak Djokovic, the record 10-time champion, stormed out with vintage aggression, his forehand dictating from the baseline in this Australian Open decider. Fresh off a five-set semifinal win over Jannik Sinner—the 2024 and 2025 titlist—he pummelled returns deep, carving three break points in the fourth game. Alcaraz saved the first two with sharp serves to the corners, but a grinding rally on the third saw Djokovic’s heavy topspin force an error, handing him a 3-1 edge on the medium-paced hard courts.
Building momentum, the 38-year-old broke again in the eighth game, dropping just two points behind his serve all set. His low slices kept Alcaraz pinned, disrupting the Spaniard’s preferred all-court transitions, while crosscourt forehands exploited any shallow balls. Djokovic’s movement, elastic and precise, echoed his undefeated record in these finals, as he closed the opener 6-2 with a fist pump that hushed the arena.
DJOKOVIC’S DETERMINATION
He takes the opener 6-2 against Alcaraz...#AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/HP4oa1rKGM— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 1, 2026
Alcaraz flips the script
Shaken but resilient, Alcaraz recalibrated in the second set, drawing on his semifinal marathon against Alexander Zverev—the longest in tournament history—to find rhythm. At 1-1 and 15-15 on Djokovic’s serve, he fired a forehand that clipped the netcord, looping over and landing just inside the line for an unlikely break point conversion. That slice of fortune ignited his game, with deeper returns and inside-out forehands stretching the court and neutralizing the Serb’s 1–2 pattern.
Rafael Nadal, watching from the stands as the youngest to complete the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era and Alcaraz’s fellow Spaniard, saw echoes of his own tenacity. The top seed broke again in the seventh game, a crosscourt backhand winner skimming the line to seal the shift. Serving out 6-2, Alcaraz unleashed a roar that reverberated through Rod Laver Arena, his speed and variety now disrupting Djokovic’s baseline dominance.
Decider tests legacies
Now even at one set apiece, the final enters a phase where Djokovic aims for a record 25th major and the distinction as the oldest Open Era winner, having already toppled the top two seeds—a feat for just the ninth player. Alcaraz, holding No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, seeks to extend his and Sinner‘s run of the last eight Slams while claiming Melbourne’s crown. The hard courts’ blend of speed and grip favors tactical pivots: Djokovic may lean on underspin to slow rallies, while Alcaraz’s athleticism thrives in extended exchanges.
The crowd’s energy swelled with Alcaraz’s surge, their cheers underscoring the psychological toll of a season’s grind—from endless travel to high-stakes semis. Djokovic’s early forehand fire tested the younger man’s nerve, but the response revealed adaptability honed under pressure. As the third set approaches, this duel promises more layers, with down-the-line winners and net approaches deciding who etches their name deeper into history.
