Serbia's Djokovic and Spain's Alcaraz before their match Reuters
Australian Open: Alcaraz v. Djokovic
February 28th, 2026, 8:00 A.M.
On Sunday, February 1st, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic faced off in the Australian Open’s men’s final in their 9th match against each other. Although Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time, it was Alcaraz that took the trophy that day.
For American viewers, the match started at the early hours of 3am. This time difference, however, didn’t stop thousands of Americans from tuning into the broadcast. The Australian Open is the first of the 4 Grand Slams: the biggest tournaments in tennis. This made this match all the more important for both players.
Djokovic comfortably won the first set with a score of 6-2, but he would quickly lose that lead. Alcaraz came back, winning the next 3 sets, resulting in a final score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. With this victory, Alacaraz was able to secure his 1st Australian Open title, and 7th Grand Slam title overall.
Some tennis fans were glad to see the young world number one win another Slam. Sophomore Anvita Shankar said, “Alcaraz is literally the GOAT. He’s like, the best ever.”
Junior Diya Gurunath remarks on the athleticism and perseverance of Djokovic despite his age. She said, “I think the final really showed that age doesn’t matter. And that he is still as strong and resilient as he was in his youth.”
Overall, both players displayed the best of what tennis has to offer, and further cemented Carlos Alcaraz’s status as one of tennis’ biggest stars.
