history is at stake Sunday’s Australian Open men’s final The match pits top seed Carlos Alcaraz against No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a record-extending 25th career Grand Slam. Djokovic scores thrilling five-set victory over Jannik Sinner Alcaraz advanced to the semi-finals after a fourth-round bye and a “lucky” quarter win. After falling behind 5-3 in the fifth round, Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in five rounds to advance to the final.
On the women’s side, Elena Rybakina defeated top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 early Saturday morning to win her second Grand Slam title.
Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times, the last time being in 2023. Alcaraz is aiming for his first career title in Melbourne, which will be a career Grand Slam. Djokovic, 38, hinted at retirement last year after losing to Sinner at Roland Garros, and his words after losing at the US Open in September echoed those comments.
However, many believe Djokovic is a legitimate threat to win in 2026, given his prowess on the hard courts of the Australian Open, where he faces a phenom who is 5-4 in his career. Alcaraz and Djokovic have split over the past four matches, including Alcaraz’s victory in the US Open semifinals last year.
The two have met once at the Australian Open, with Djokovic winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals last year. Sunday will be Djokovic’s first Grand Slam final appearance since 2024, when he lost to Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
“I never stopped believing in myself,” Djokovic said after defeating Sinner. “There are a lot of people who doubted me. A lot of experts tried to retire me or retired me many times over the last few years. I want to thank all of them because they gave me strength. They gave me the motivation to prove them wrong, and that’s what we have tonight. For me, to be honest, it’s not a surprise.”
Where to watch the Australian Open men’s final
- date: February 1st
- position: Melbourne Park Sports and Entertainment District — Melbourne, Australia
- time: 3:30 a.m. ET.
- tv set: ESPN | stream: Fubo (free trial)
Djokovic uses his “chasing” comment as motivation
After his semi-final victory, Djokovic did not like questions from reporters suggesting that he had spent much of his early career “chasing” Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and was now spending his second half doing the same thing as Sinner and Alcaraz.
Djokovic reached the semifinals of every Grand Slam last year, aiming for 25th place. Sinner or Alcaraz have won the last four major titles.
“Am I following Yannik and Carlos? In what sense?” Djokovic said. “So I’ve always been the one chasing and I’ve never been chased? I think it’s a little disrespectful that you’re missing out on what happened between when I started ‘chasing’ as they say with Rafa and Roger and now when I’m chasing Carlos and Yannik.
“I’ve probably been winning Grand Slams for about 15 years. I think it’s important to put that in perspective. I don’t feel like I’m chasing to be honest. Roger and Rafa have always been my biggest rivals. I have a lot of respect for what Jannik and Carlos are doing and I think they’ll continue to do it for the next 10, 15, 20 years. God knows how many years they’ll play. They’re very young.”
Alcaraz after a tough match
Victory would put Alcaraz one step closer to becoming the youngest player to win a career Grand Slam, but he will have to run a 5-hour, 27-minute marathon in the semi-finals to do so. Zverev served for match in the fifth set at 5-4, then Alcaraz broke and the momentum continued.
“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to play my first final here in Melbourne,” Alcaraz said. “I had a chance to compete for the title, so that’s something I’ve always pursued.”
It was the third longest match in Australian Open history.
“I’ve been in games like this before, so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart and soul into the game, and I think I did that. I fought until the last ball,” Alcaraz said. I knew I had a chance. I was passionate in the fifth set, but I was very proud of myself, the way I felt and the way I came back.”
Men’s final prediction
FanDuel Sportsbook lists Alcaraz (-320) as the stronger favorite over Djokovic to win his first Australian Open title. But this feels like destiny for Djokovic, considering there may not be another chance in history for the Serbian star. Djokovic will have a clear advantage if he takes an early lead against Alcaraz and doesn’t have to make come-from-behind plays, which can be affected by age, in a match that lasts four to five hours. Alcaraz is under much more pressure to pull it off inside Rod Laver Arena than Djokovic, who is clearly the underdog. If Djokovic wins, he will become the oldest Grand Slam winner in the British Open era and surpass Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles in history. Pick: Djokovic in four sets.
