Nothing less than global domination will suffice for a relentless Carlos Alcaraz, who would smash idol Rafael Nadal’s record by winning his first Australian Open in January.
The Spanish superstar on Monday (AEST) became the youngest men’s player to win grand slams on all three surfaces (clay, grass and hard court) by finishing over the top of Alexander Zverev in a five set final at Roland-Garros.
Alcaraz gets tattoos with the dates of all of his maiden grand slam wins and January 26 in Melbourne is already circled on his calendar.
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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Getty
“I told a lot of people, close people, that I love being in Australia,” the 21-year-old told Stan Sport’s Duncan McKenzie-McHarg.
“I think Australia is a really good country. I love playing there.
“The conditions, I think, suit very well suit to my style. But I had not too much success. Not yet, no, but it’s a tournament that obviously I want to win. I want to set all the grand slam.”
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Eight men have achieved career grand slams: Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal was the youngest to collect the full set of silverware when he won his first US Open as a 24-year-old in 2010.
Alcaraz’s best result at the Australian Open to date is the quarter-finals this year, losing in four sets to Zverev.
Wimbledon, starting on July 1, is next on the agenda but Alcaraz knows what a Melbourne breakthrough would do for his burgeoning and seemingly limitless legacy.
Fellow young gun Jannik Sinner is the defending champion Down Under.
“I will work during this whole year,” Alcaraz said.
“I will do a really good position to go to Australia with a lot of confidence, feeling really well, physically, mentally, with a really good level of tennis just to try to win it.
“Of course, everyone is working hard, is playing great tennis in Australia, just to have success in the same place that I really want to. But I will do it for sure.
“If not the next year, I will work really, really hard to to get it one day.”