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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be eyeing history when they lock horns in the men's singles final of the Australian Open 2026 on Sunday, February 01. While Djokovic will be aiming to lift an elusive 25th Grand Slam and a record-extending 11th Australian Open title, Alcaraz will be looking to complete a Career Grand Slam.
The Spaniard, who is the current world no.1, has won the other three Grand Slams at least once in his career but is yet to lift his maiden Australian Open title. At 22, Alcaraz will become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, surpassing the legendary Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat at 24.
Djokovic, who is already the most successful player in men's tennis history with 24 Grand Slam titles under his belt, will surpass Margaret Court to become the most successful player in history across all eras with a triumph at the Australian Open 2026. The Serbian ace will also become the oldest Australian Open champion at 38 if he manages to beat Alcaraz in the final on Sunday.
Ahead of the mouth-watering final between two of the best players in world tennis at present, the legendary Rafael Nadal revealed who he would be rooting for in the summit clash. Nadal shared an epic rivalry with the legendary Roger Federer and Djokovic throughout his career.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion wished Djokovic the best, lauding him for competing at the highest level despite being at the fag end of his career. However, he insisted he will support his Spanish compatriot Alcaraz, with whom he shared the court in doubles matches towards the end of his career.
“In some way, with Novak we had an amazing story, with all those years competing for the most important things, and I wish him all the very best, but of course Carlos is from my country, I have a good relationship with him, we shared the Olympic Games together, we shared the Spanish team," Nadal told ABC Sport in Australia.
“And I mean, if Novak wins, I will be happy for him, because in some ways, quite spectacular what he’s doing at this stage of his career, so I will be happy. It will not be a drama for me, but if I have to support someone, I mean, I have to support I feel to Carlos," he added.
At 38, Djokovic became the oldest man to reach the Australian Open final after beating world no.2 Jannik Sinner in a draining semi-final on Friday. A lot was said about Djokovic's fitness and preparedness after he survived a major scare against Lorenzo Musetti in his semi-final clash.
Musetti was leading by two sets when he was forced to retire due to an injury in the third set, allowing Djokovic to move to the semi-finals. The Serbian turned up in the semi-final to get the better of defending champion Sinner, proving that age is just a number for him.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion hit back at his critics after his victory, stating that he never stopped believing in himself despite the experts wanting him to retire. The 38-year-old will now look to create history when he takes on Alcaraz in the all-important final at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
