JAKARTA - Carlos Alcaraz needs a title at the Australian Open to complete the puzzle in his career journey. He has the opportunity on this year's calendar, but it won't be easy for him to hold the Norman Brookes trophy.
The main round matches of the 2026 Australian Open are scheduled to take place from January 18 to February 1, 2026 at Melbourne Park, Victoria, Australia. The Grand Slam tournament of the opening season is currently playing the qualifying round matches.
Alcaraz admitted that he really wanted the trophy, the only Grand Slam that was not in his collection. He felt that this year was a golden opportunity for him to make history.
"To be honest, it (winning the Australian Open) is my first goal. When I go through the pre-season to improve my ability and achieve my goals, the Australian Open is always in my mind," the Spanish player said as reported by France 24.
Currently, Alcaraz has collected six Grand Slam titles at the age of 22 (two at Wimbledon, two at Roland Garros, and two at the US Open). However, his struggle to pursue the remaining pieces of the puzzle this year seems difficult.
In 2025, Alcaraz's fight at the Australian Open was seeded by former world number one from Serbia, Novak Djokovic, in the quarterfinals. He was also stopped in the same round the previous year after losing to German tennis player Alexander Zverev.
The quarterfinal round is still the furthest journey there. This year, the world number one tennis player may be more ready to make history, but Jannik Sinner who ranks second in the world could be a stumbling block.
Sinner, who is 24 years old and has collected four Grand Slam titles, is the Australian Open champion in the last two years. This year, he will also chase a third consecutive title to join Djokovic, as the only male player in the Open era to do so.
Djokovic, who is a former world number one, has won the title three times in a row twice out of a total of 10 titles he has won at Melbourne Park.
The statistics that Sinner had last year were also very impressive. He recorded 58 wins and only six losses, two of which were against Alcaraz in the final rounds of Roland Garros and the US Open.
"I feel like I'm a better player than last year. Many wins and a few losses. I try to look at the positive side of the defeat and use it to grow as a player," said Sinner.
Sinner came from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Australian Open final before knocking out Zverev in straight sets a year ago. Despite being the defending champion, Alcaraz won 10-6 in their record meeting.
If he succeeds in breaking Sinner's dominance in Australia, Alcaraz will automatically become the youngest tennis player in history to win four Grand Slams. He will surpass Rafael Nadal's record of winning four Grand Slam titles at the age of 24.
Djokovic chases record
This year, Djokovic is back in Australia, which is the most successful place in his career, to chase a record 25th Grand Slam title. However, he seems to have a hard time breaking the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner in recent years.
This may be the last year for the 38-year-old to play in Australia. However, his fitness is a question after he withdrew from this week's Adelaide International.
Djokovic managed to reach the semifinals at all Grand Slams last year. He was recorded losing to Zverev at the Australian Open, being beaten by Sinner at Wimbledon and Roland Garros, and losing to Alcaraz at the US Open.
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