Carlos Alcaraz will compete at the Australian Open with the goal of breaking Rafael Nadal’s record.
The 21-year-old will head into the 2025 season with newfound vigor and resolve after a sad finale to his 2024 campaign.
Despite a more erratic performance than the previous year, the Spaniard finished the season with two additional Grand Slam titles and an Olympic silver medal.
Carlos Alcaraz has won four majors and has a chance to win a fifth in the Australian Open in January, following in the footsteps of his hero.
What record can Carlos Alcaraz break at the Australian Open that belongs to Rafael Nadal?
Alcaraz was by Rafael Nadal’s side when the 38-year-old resigned from tennis during the Davis Cup finals.
In the approach to his final match, many fans and analysts alike have looked back fondly on his career and the multiple milestones he broke.
One of these accomplishments is that Nadal became the youngest player to win all four Grand Slams. He was 24 when he won the US Open in 2010, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
Alcaraz, 21, has the potential to break Nadal’s record if he wins the Australian Open in 2025.
If he fails to win in January, the former World No. 1 can still break the record at the 2026 or 2027 Australian Open, before turning 24, the age at which Nadal won each major.
Carlos Alcaraz shares desire to win Australian Open and complete career Grand Slam
Alcaraz has won each Grand Slam, including the 2022 US Open, this year’s French Open, and two consecutive Wimbledon titles.
He has yet to win the Australian Open, where his best performance was reaching the quarterfinals.
That came in 2024, when Alcaraz faced Alexander Zverev, who won 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4.
Alcaraz missed the Grand Slam in 2023 owing to injuries, while in 2022, he lost in five sets to Matteo Berrettini in the third round.
This defeat still marks the only time that Alcaraz has lost a five-set match in his career.
