World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz arrives in Melbourne with a singular goal: to lift his first Australian Open trophy and become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
At 22, the Spaniard already owns major titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Victory at Melbourne Park would see him surpass Don Budge, who sealed the career Grand Slam just two days before his 23rd birthday with his triumph at the 1938 French Open.
“I would rather win my first Australian Open than retain my French Open and U.S. Open titles next year,” Alcaraz said in November. He turns 23 on May 5.
A breakthrough in Melbourne would deliver Alcaraz a seventh Grand Slam title and make him the first man to reach that mark before his 23rd birthday.
Yet for all Alcaraz’s global success, Australia has been a curious blank on his resume. His runs to the quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons are the furthest he has advanced.
This year’s campaign carries an added layer of intrigue following his abrupt split with longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world No. 1 who guided Alcaraz from teenager to multiple Grand Slam champion over seven years.
The breakup has been tennis’ biggest talking point of the new season, with neither party elaborating on the reasons behind it.
Whether Alcaraz will be affected without Ferrero in his corner is one of the tournament’s central questions.
He enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, winning two Grand Slam titles and reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking, but Melbourne will be the first proper test of his new setup under intense pressure.
Ferrero helped shape Alcaraz’s strategy to deal with archrival Jannik Sinner, who took his Wimbledon crown in 2025.
The pair held a two-week training camp focused on breaking down the Italian before Alcaraz beat him in the U.S. Open final in four sets.
Despite that result, defending Australian Open champion Sinner is the favorite at Melbourne Park, rated slightly ahead of Alcaraz by bookmakers.
Alcaraz’s improved serve and greater variation proved key to overcoming Sinner at the U.S. Open, but the Italian will have made his own adjustments for the new season.
Apart from Sinner, it is hard to imagine any other player capable of stopping Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic knocked him out of last year’s quarterfinals, but the 38-year-old Serb was no match in their most recent meeting, losing in straight sets in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Conquering Melbourne would see Alcaraz cross his final frontier in men’s tennis while setting the stage for a first tilt at the coveted calendar-year Grand Slam.
