By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Photo: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX
Happy Slam is a historic goal for him Carlos Alcaraz.
Powered by the best season of his career this year, the top-ranked Alcaraz shared his goal no. 1 for next year: Winning the first Australian Open and making history as the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz, who withdrew from the Davis Cup Final 8 today due to a right leg injury suffered falling to Jannik Sinner 7-6(4), 7-5 in Sunday’s ATP Finals title match, met with the media on a Zoom call today. Alcaraz, promoting The Rockets at the Rock Show vs. Frances Tiafoe at Newark’s Prudential Center on December 7thshared his 2026 mission statement: Defeat two-time champion Sinner and win the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam.
“Absolutely, it’s a very good goal for me to complete the calendar Grand Slam,” Alcaraz told the media on today’s Zoom call. “To have that record of being the youngest player to finish will be a really good achievement and achievement for myself. So I’m looking forward to it in 2026.”
Six-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is an all-court champion making history as the youngest man to capture Grand Slam championships on three major surfaces: hard court (2022 and 2025 US Open), grass (2023-2024 Wimbledon) and his red clay surface at Roland Garros (2024-2025).
The worst position in tennis right now is behind Jannik Sinner in a major match. Frontrunner Sinner squanders even the elites when he’s on the score. However, Alcaraz can play even bolder and shine even more when he is down. The Spanish forward showed it all by fighting back with three championship points to break Sinner’s heart in an epic Roland Garros final for the ages in June.
The question is: Can Alcaraz, whose best Australian Open results are back-to-back quarterfinal finishes in 2024-25, ease Sinner into the Italian’s top Slam in Melbourne?
Alcaraz suggests the lack of an improved tournament Down Under has hurt his Happy Slam quest in the past.
“It could be a big record to be honest. I really expect to win Australia one day,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really excited about it. That’s the good thing about it – it’s the first Grand Slam.
“I start the season immediately playing a Grand Slam which can be tricky with no rhythm at all, no racing rhythm, let’s say. But I will have a great pre-season to prepare.
“Obviously, having that record of being the youngest to complete a career Grand Slam is something that sticks in my mind.”
fifteen years ago, Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz’s tennis hero and Olympic doubles partner won the 2010 US Open to complete a career Grand Slam at the age of 24. Roger FedererAlcarazi’s stylistic inspiration, was 27 when he defeated Robin Soderling in the 2009 Roland Garros final to win his first French Open and complete the career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz, who fell to The king of the Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic in a four-set AO quarterfinal last January, won a career-best eight titles in 2025 and says he is a better and smarter player now than he was at the start of this season.
“A couple of losses that I didn’t play my best tennis at the beginning of the season, then I realized what I have to do on and off the court,” Alcaraz said. “Then after that, from Monte-Carlo until the end of the year, it’s been my best year, my best tennis I’ve ever played.
“I learned how to see situations much better on the court. Mentally, I’m stronger and I think that’s the most important thing for me. That I became much stronger from the losses and when I felt really bad. That’s the moment I’m really proud of and that’s what I take from this year.”
