Carlos Alcaraz wins Australian Open final

Spanish tennis player and world number one Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest player in the history of men's tennis to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. On 1 February, the Spaniard won the Australian Open final, defeating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in a four-set match.

The match began with a confident first set from Djokovic. However, as the match progressed, Alcaraz seized the initiative, added aggression and began to use drop shots more often, forcing his opponent to make mistakes in long rallies. The second set proved to be crucial, with the Spaniard breaking serve and completely turning the match around.

In the third set, Alcaraz secured his lead, and in the fourth, he withstood the pressure in a long game and finished off his opponent at the end, converting match point. The victory allowed the 22-year-old tennis player to confirm his status as the world's number one and bring his Grand Slam title count to seven.

Alcaraz became the youngest player to win all four major tennis titles — the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The previous record holder was Spain's Rafael Nadal, who won the career Grand Slam at the age of 24 in 2010. In tennis history, Alcaraz surpassed American Don Budge, who won all four Grand Slam tournaments in 1938 at the age of 22 years and 355 days.

The Australian Open had long been the most difficult tournament for Alcaraz — previously, he had only reached the quarter-finals here. ‘Every year, when I came to Australia, I thought about winning, but it didn't happen. This year, I wanted more. My dream has come true,’ Alcaraz said after the final.

Even his main rival in recent years, Novak Djokovic, noted after the final that the Spaniard has a ‘brilliant career’ and deserves ‘all the praise he receives.’ ‘He is already a legendary tennis player who has left a huge mark on the history of tennis,’ Djokovic said.