Carlos Alcaraz has strengthened his hold on the world number one spot after winning the 2026 Australian Open title.
Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to win his first title without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his coaching box, becoming the youngest man in tennis history to complete the Career Grand Slam at Men’s Singles event.
Alcaraz, who also equalled a record held by Bjorn Borg, was simply too good for Djokovic; despite the Serbian star performing admirably throughout the contest.
Midway through the contest, Alcaraz engineered a shift in his tactical approach, which almost certainly aided the Spaniard’s fortunes on his way to the victory.
Can Carlos Alcaraz win MORE Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic? 🤔
Carlos Alcaraz changed his backhand shot selection midway through the Australian Open final
In the third set, Alcaraz made a key tactical change on his backhand.
In the first two sets, Alcaraz had an even style of play, hitting 53 per cent of his backhand shots cross-court and 47 per cent down-the-line.
In the third set, the Spaniard shifted his focus, striking 74 per cent of his backhand shots cross-court and 26 per cent down-the-line.
There are three likely reasons for this tactical switch.
First, Alcaraz would have been looking to extend the length of the rallies as – throughout the match – he was winning the majority of points that extended past nine or 10 shots.
Also, Alcaraz would have been hoping to stretch the court, testing Djokovic’s agility and turn of pace. For all of Djokovic’s excellent athleticism, he is simply not as good an athlete as Alcaraz at this stage in his career.
Alcaraz could have also been hoping to reduce his margin of error. Hitting down-the-line is a riskier shot in essence. The shot requires a later contact point, thus meaning the shot is more susceptible to being played off the back foot, leading to errors.
Carlos Alcaraz has won 25 ATP Tour titles
As per OptaAce, since the inaugural ATP Tour season in 1990, Carlos Alcaraz has now taken the fewest main draws to achieve 25 career ATP-level titles.
Who do you think will retire with more Grand Slam titles?
Alcaraz’s victory against Djokovic on Sunday was his 86th win at title-winning tournaments.
Alcaraz won his first title at the 2021 Umag Open, defeating Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the final.
The Spaniard also defeated Lucas Pouille, Andrej Martin, Filip Krajinovic and Albert Ramos Vinolas, whom Alcaraz also defeated in his first ATP Tour main-draw match at the 2020 Rio Open.
