Australian Open 2026: History beckons for Djokovic and Alcaraz in final
The Hindu
Djokovic and Alcaraz clash in the 2026 Australian Open final, each chasing historic milestones in their tennis careers.
History is on the line in the Australian Open men’s final on Sunday (February 1, 2026) with tennis gladiators Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz each vowing no surrender.
Separated by 16 years, the pair stand at opposite ends of their careers and are pursuing significant but different milestones.
The 38-year-old Djokovic is striving to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and with it a 25th major title to finally surpass Margaret Court’s long-standing landmark.
Should he do so, he will also become the oldest man to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz has already won six Grand Slams and is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career sweep of all four majors. Fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal did it at 24.
“For me, I think also obviously for Carlos because of his age and everything that he was able to achieve so far, history is on the line for both of us every time we play,” said Serbia’s Djokovic.
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