Alcaraz secures his place in history by winning the only Grand Slam title he was missing.

BarcelonaCarlos Alcaraz's name is now etched on the four most coveted trophies in world tennis. At 22, the Murcian has won the Australian Open for the first time, becoming the youngest player to lift all four cups. Only the Melbourne title eluded him, a tournament in which he had never reached the final. But Alcaraz is poised to surpass the achievements of Rafa Nadal or his opponent in the final, Novak Djokovic, who at 38 years old thrilled with his competitive spirit. But his era came to an end, falling in four sets (2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5).

After two seasons of undisputed dominance by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open final seemed like a match written by a screenwriter. A specialist tasked with the final episode of a hit series, with the challenge of captivating the audience. Tennis deserved a match like this, a fitting symbol of the changing of the guard. A match that, for a few hours, united two golden eras: one ending and one already beginning. A final to pay homage to the last of the three musketeers still competing: Novak Djokovic.

A well-rounded script that has allowed the Belgrade native to return to a Grand Slam final two years after his last title, in 2013 in New York. And it was special that it was in Melbourne, one of Djokovic's favorite venues, a ten-time champion in Australia, the first back in 2008 when Alcaraz was five years old. It's a court where he always plays surrounded by many Serbians who emigrated down underAnd where he had also experienced one of the lowest moments of his career, when he tried to circumvent the COVID-19 protocols. Djokovic was seeking his 25th Grand Slam title, after a tournament where he struggled against Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals: Djokovic seemed destined for elimination, but the Italian suffered an injury while leading 2-0 in sets. However, the Serb had also demonstrated his competitive spirit, having won the title in Melbourne the last two years. He eliminated one of the two young players currently dominating the circuit, but Alcaraz appears stronger than Sinner today. After a year in which they have changed coaches, The man from Murcia arrived in Melbourne proud, ready to prove that parting ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero was the right decision. At 22, he had never reached the Australian Open final, the only Grand Slam that had eluded him. After the epic semifinals against Zverev, which he won in five sets despite suffering from vomiting, his physical condition was a mystery.

And initially, he seemed a bit slow. He didn't look comfortable, unlike Djokovic, who has lost some of his physical edge but knows every corner of the court as if it were his own dining room. The Serb debuted in Melbourne in 2003, when Alcaraz was two years old. And that experience allowed him to win the first set 6-2, with hardly any errors, in just 33 minutes.Idemo!", he was shouting. The Serbian version of the "Come on!which Alcaraz would respond to in the second set.

There's nothing Alcaraz likes more than being under pressure. Like Rafa Nadal, who was watching from the stands, he seems to rediscover his hidden energy when his opponent overtakes him. He seems offended by having someone on the other side of the court challenging him. In the second set, Alcaraz started hitting spectacular winners. He was taking more risks than Djokovic. And the second set fell to him quickly, 6-2, signaling trouble for the Serb. The Belgrade player had to survive the Murcian's onslaught, who sought the crowd's support with a raised fist. It was a beautiful generational duel. Djokovic, cool and calculating, tried to think rationally with the maturity of his 38 years. Alcaraz wanted to unleash everything with the energy of a 22-year-old. That's why he hit more winners, but also more unforced errors.

The wind was already blowing in Alcaraz's favor, although he was furious when the roof of Rod Laver Arena was closed at the end of the second set, something he clearly disliked. On the court, as in life, Djokovic couldn't stop time. He couldn't travel back to the past, to when he was the provocative champion. It's time to relinquish his place and see someone else take it: it's a law that always holds true. The Serb began to make some errors, including double faults, and made Alcaraz's job easier. Alcaraz took the third set 6-3, although Djokovic saved five set points, defending desperately as best he could. It seemed that Alcaraz's path was now wide open.

Other players might have given up, but not Djokovic. The Serb fought tooth and nail in the match, prolonging the fourth set as much as possible, stretching, extending his serve time, and squandering a break point on the Spaniard's serve at 4-4. But Alcaraz didn't flinch and sealed the final after a thrilling set (7-5). He thus shattered Djokovic's dream of becoming the first player, male or female, to win 25 Grand Slam titles. He had never lost a final in Melbourne. After 10 victories, he has now lost his eleventh. He has fallen to an Alcaraz who has already won seven Grand Slam titles at just 22 years old. Only Jannik Sinner seems capable of stopping his explosive game in the future. In Melbourne, Djokovic was able to say goodbye by winning a set and putting up a fight before yielding the title to the new champion. When his final whistle blew, he elegantly crossed the court to congratulate the man from Murcia. The glory belongs to Alcaraz.