Carlos Alcaraz chases No. 1 club history as Career Grand Slam looms at Australian Open | ATP tour | Tennis

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Alcaraz chases No. 1 club history as Career Grand Slam looms at Australian Open

The Spaniard could become the sixth man in the Open Era to achieve the feat
January 16, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the 2026 Australian Open with more than just the first major trophy of the year in his sights.

The world number 1 is playing for a chance to complete the Career Grand Slam and join another exclusive list. Should Alcaraz triumph in Melbourne, he will become just the sixth man in the Open Era – and the fifth ATP No. 1 Club member – who wins all four major titles at least once.

Alcaraz would join Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Rod Laver famously conquered all four majors in one season in 1969, but the PIF ATP rankings were not introduced until 1973. Since then, only four men have completed the Career Grand Slam, each carving a unique path through tennis history.

Andre Agassi
After falling short in consecutive Roland Garros finals in 1990 and 1991, Agassi finally crossed the line on the clay eight years later in 1999. The American came back from two sets down against Andrei Medvedev in an epic final to become the first man in the PIF ATP Rankings era to complete the Career Grand Slam.

“That was a day, between the lines of a tennis court, when I knew I wouldn’t regret it anymore,” Agassi reflected on Tennis Channel last year. “It was the last of the four that I won. It was one that I could have won a few times ten years earlier.”

During his career, Agassi won eight major titles and spent 101 weeks at No. 1 in the world before retiring in 2006.

Roger Federer
Federer also completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, in 2009, when he finally captured the one major that had eluded him. His straight-sets win over Robin Soderling came after years of three consecutive defeats to great rival Rafael Nadal.

“This is perhaps my biggest victory, or rather the one that takes the most pressure off my shoulders,” Federer said after the match. “I think I can enjoy playing for the rest of my career and never hear again that I have never won Roland Garros.”

The Swiss legend lifted 20 major trophies, including winning the other three major trophies during his career at least five times each. In 2011 he reached the final of Roland Garros again, but was stopped for the fourth time by Nadal.

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Rafael Nadal
Nadal achieved his Career Grand Slam at the 2010 US Open, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to do so at the age of 24. The victory marked one of the Spaniard’s most dominant years, winning each of the last three Grand Slam tournaments and completing a rare surface sweep.

By winning the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal achieved the Career Grand Slam twice, winning each of the four majors at least twice – a testament to his adaptability after a record 14 Roland Garros titles. The Spaniard finished his career with 22 Grand Slam trophies and an enduring reputation for competitive intensity.

Novak Djokovic
Djokovic completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros 2016, joining Federer and Nadal in a golden era marked by historic Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. He had fallen in three previous finals – two to Nadal (2012, ’14) and one to Stan Wawrinka (2015) – but made no mistake with a four-set comeback victory over Andy Murray.

“It’s incredibly flattering to know that Rod Laver is the last one to do that,” said Djokovic, who held all four major titles at the same time. “There are not many words that can describe it. It is one of the ultimate challenges you face as a tennis player. I am very proud, very happy.”

Djokovic would complete the Career Grand Slam three times, becoming the only man in history to do so. He has a record 24 major titles and has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1 throughout his career.

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Alcaraz at the crossroads
Now six-time champion Alcaraz is about to join this elite group. History will play out again for the 22-year-old over the next two weeks at Melbourne Park.

“It’s honestly my first goal,” Alcaraz said after his 2025 US Open victory, referring to completing the Career Grand Slam. “When I go to preseason [see] what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, the Australian Open is there.

“It’s always the main goal for me to complete a Career Grand Slam, Calendar Grand Slam… So it’s going to be great.”