Melbourne, Feb 2 (.) Novak Djokovic described Carlos Alcaraz as “already a legendary tennis player” after the 22-year-old Spaniard defeated him 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the men’s singles final of the Australian Open on Sunday to win his first title in Melbourne and become the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
“The results are a testament to his already stellar career,” said Djokovic. “I can’t think of any other superlatives about him. He deserves every bit of the praise that he gets from his peers, but also the whole tennis community. He’s a very nice young man.”
“Good values, nice family. Of course, already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in the history books of tennis at only 22 years of age. It’s super impressive, no doubt about it,” he added.
The Spaniard secured the third set 6-3 and showed composure under pressure in the fourth, breaking Djokovic late and converting championship point after a forehand from the Serbian went long, sealing victory at Rod Laver Arena.
The Australian Open marked Alcaraz’s first tournament since parting ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and appointing Samuel López as his head coach. The decision had drawn scrutiny during the off-season, but Alcaraz said he remained focused on his game throughout the tournament.
“I didn’t think about those people who had doubts about it,” he said. “I came here just playing for myself, playing for my team. We all know how hard I worked in the pre-season to be ready for this tournament, and I had too many things to think about during this tournament.”
“Just focus on my game style, focus on myself, being passionate, and that’s all I thought about during this tournament. But once I get it, I’m just happy to prove all the people were wrong,” he added.
The triumph completed Alcaraz’s collection of Grand Slam titles, having previously won Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. He is now the youngest men’s player to achieve the career Grand Slam in the Open Era.
Alcaraz also revealed he plans to commemorate the milestone with a tattoo, continuing a tradition he has followed after each of his major title wins.
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