Australian Open 2026 results: Carlos Alcaraz enjoys service improvement as he reaches quarterfinals
Carlos Alcaraz says he is pleased to see recent changes to his serve paying off, calling it a “vital weapon” in his quiet run into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
Defeating American 19th seed Tommy Paul in straight sets, world number one Alcaraz reached the Grand Slam quarter-finals for the 14th time, surpassing the previous record held by Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker (13 times), becoming the most players before the age of 23 in the Open era.
After the match, Alcaraz detailed the adjustments he’s made to his serve in recent months – joking with the crowd at Rod Laver Arena that it now bears similarities to Novak Djokovic’s.
“I’m surprised myself, to be honest,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion, who has yet to drop a set in his first four matches in Melbourne.
“The serve is something I’ve been working on for a long time. I’m really happy to see the improvement in the serve and the high percentage of serve hits.
“After every set, I try to get my percentage, and I look at the screen after every set. Overall, [in] The serve has been an important weapon for me in the four tournaments I have played. “
