name='verify_a78772d791e94fc7f9666f0dd14249cc'/> Carlos Alcaraz eyes Australian Open glory and Career Grand Slam

Carlos Alcaraz eyes Australian Open glory and Career Grand Slam

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At 21, Carlos Alcaraz is in an excellent position to become the youngest owner of the Career Grand Slam. The Spaniard is the youngest winner of three Major crowns, and he is eyeing on the upcoming Australian Open and possible tennis glory.

Speaking about the first Major of the season, Alcaraz admitted it has been his next big goal, trying to complete all four Major trophies at such a young age. If Carlos conquers Melbourne by 2027, he will pass Rafael Nadal and become the youngest player to accomplish the Career Grand Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2022 Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2022© Stream screenshot  

Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open, becoming the first teenager to win a Major trophy since Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard conquered Wimbledon a year later and completed half of the Career Grand Slam path at 20! Carlos stepped in and claimed two Majors this season.

He lifted his first Roland Garros trophy and wrote history books as the youngest player with the title at three Majors. Not stopping there, Alcaraz defended the Wimbledon title, adding the fourth Major to his collection two months after turning 21!

Naturally, Carlos' next goal in the Australian Open, and his first quest toward the Career Grand Slam will be in five weeks. Alcaraz is 7-3 in Melbourne, reaching the quarter-final this year and targeting a stronger run in 2025.

Carlos makes a notable Australian Open debut

Interestingly, Alcaraz made his first Australian Open appearance at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha! The 2021 Australian Open took place in February, and the qualifiers battled in Doha a month earlier. The 17-year-old Spaniard made a name for himself.

Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2021 Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2021© Stream screenshot  

Carlos beat Filip Horansky in the first round and prevailed over Evgeny Karlovskiy in two tie breaks. A teenager battled against Hugo Dellien for a place in the main draw. He sealed the deal in straight sets and entered the first main draw at Majors at 17.

Alcaraz faced Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round and scored a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory. Thus, he became the youngest Major match winner since Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2014!! Carlos fought well against Mikael Ymer in the second round before falling in four sets after over three hours.

Alcaraz falls to Matteo Berrettini in the 2022 thriller

A year later, the Spaniard returned to Melbourne as world no. 31. Carlos played well against Alejandro Tabilo and Dusan Lajovic to find himself in the third round for the first time. Alcaraz battled against Matteo Berrettini and fell after a cracking battle.

The Italian ousted the young gun 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 after four hours and ten minutes. Carlos claimed the same number of points as his opponent and created more opportunities on the return. He denied five of eight break points and earned 13 chances. 

Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open© Stream screenshot  

Alcaraz converted four, dominating sets three and four but failing to perform a comeback. Both players wasted an early break chance in the decider and served well until the 12th game. Carlos played against a match point, denying it and introducing a deciding tie break. 

Matteo dropped the first point on serve before taking the next six, keeping the pressure on the other side. The young gun experienced a mini-break in the tenth point and found himself in a challenging position at 5-8. Berrettini grabbed two return points, sealing the deal and celebrating an epic win. 

Carlos loses his first quarter-final to Alexander Zverev

The Spaniard missed last year's Australian Open due to injury. He returned this January and advanced to the last eight for the first time. World no. 2 bested Lorenzo Sonego in the second round and played well in the next two to find himself in the quarter-final.

Carlos met Alexander Zverev in the semi-final chase and suffered a 6-1, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 defeat. The German made a flying start and completed the opening two sets in 80 minutes for a massive boost.

Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2024 Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2024© Stream screenshot  

Flying from all cylinders, Alexander broke in the fourth game of the third set and moved 5-2 in front! Alcaraz fought back and rattled off three games, pulling the break back in game nine and extending the battle. Carlos grabbed the tie break 7-2 for a massive comeback. 

They traded breaks at the beginning of the fourth set, and Alexander survived deuces at 3-4. Zverev secured a pivotal break in the ninth game and sealed the deal with a hold at 5-4, ending Alcaraz's campaign.

"I will clinch the Australian Open title sooner or later. I hope I can achieve that in January. However, it will be challenging against Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and others. They will be eager to place their cards on the table and display everything they have worked on to achieve a good result. It's essential for me to complete all four Major titles, and I will work hard to achieve that," Carlos Alcaraz said. 



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