Carlos Alcaraz beats Djokovic in second set to advance to Australian Open final | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz beats Djokovic in second set to advance to Australian Open final

The Spaniard is chasing his first Melbourne title to complete a career Grand Slam

February 1, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz has bounced back as Novak Djokovic leveled the match with a stunning 2-6, 6-2 start in Sunday’s Australian Open championship. The PIF ATP No. 1 shook off a shaky start against the record 10-time champion to complete the career Grand Slam within two sets.

Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s serve twice in the second set to get back into contention in his first Australian Open final. If the 22-year-old Alcaraz can ride on the momentum and continue to lift the trophy in Melbourne, he will become the youngest player in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam (win all four Grand Slam singles titles). The record is currently held by Alcaraz’s fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who was watching his two former ATP Tour rivals from the stands at Rod Laver Arena.

The tide turns 🌊

Alcaraz won the second set 6-2 to tie the game… 👀#AustraliaOpen | #Alcaraz pic.twitter.com/cW9BY73W15

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 1, 2026

Although Djokovic had a marathon five-set victory over 2024 and 2025 champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, he was aggressive in his first match on Rod Laver Arena with an aggressive shot. The 38-year-old, who is seeking to lift his 25th Grand Slam trophy in history and become the oldest men’s Grand Slam champion in the Open era, made few mistakes in the first set, but Alcaraz soon leveled the score with a much improved second set performance.

Djokovic, who has never lost an Australian Open title match, is seeking to break Alcaraz and Sinner’s monopoly on the Grand Slams in recent years: the pair have won the last eight. If he can beat Alcaraz after defeating PIF ATP No. 2 Sinner, the Serbian will become the ninth player to defeat the top two seeds on the road to a Grand Slam.

As he did against Sinner, Djokovic was determined to dominate the match with his forehand in his 11th Australian Open final, and the Serb won the match’s first three break points in the fourth game. While Alcaraz bravely fended off the first two games, Djokovic took an early advantage in the third game by winning a baseline-extending rally.

Alcaraz himself faced Alexander Zverev in the longest semifinal in tournament history on Friday, but his performance in the early stages was unusually lackluster. Djokovic expertly used his momentum to break his opponent’s serve again in the eighth game to seal the victory with just two points behind on serve, according to Infosys Stats.

Alcaraz needed to find a way to stem Djokovic’s opening charge, and he benefited from a first break of serve early in the second set. On Djokovic’s serve, the Spaniard hit a forehand at 1-1, 15/15, into the net, up the ring, and then somehow spun into the net on Djokovic’s side. The top seed broke his opponent’s serve for the second time in the seventh game, quickly serving to level the match before letting out a roar.