Novak Djokovic wins first set vs. Alcaraz in Australian Open final | ATP Tour

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Djokovic wins first set vs. Alcaraz in stunning Australian Open final start

Serbian is chasing all-time record 25th major singles crown

February 01, 2026

Novak Djokovic has made a blistering start to Sunday’s championship match at the Australian Open, where the record 10-time champion has taken the first set 6-2 against Carlos Alcaraz.

Appearing fresh despite his marathon five-set semi-final victory against 2024 and 2025 champion Jannik Sinner on Friday night, Djokovic pummelled the ball aggressively from the first game inside Rod Laver Arena. The 38-year-old, who is bidding to lift an all-time record 25th Grand Slam trophy and also become the oldest men’s singles titlist at a major in the Open Era, barely put a foot wrong in a statement opening-set display.

DJOKOVIC’S DETERMINATION 👊

He takes the opener 6-2 against Alcaraz…#AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/HP4oa1rKGM

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 1, 2026

Djokovic, who has never lost an Australian Open title match, is bidding to snap Alcaraz and Sinner’s stranglehold on the majors in recent years: the pair has won the past eight Grand Slam titles between them. If he can follow his triumph against the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Sinner by also overcoming Alcaraz, the Serbian will be just the ninth player to have defeated the top two seeds en route to a major crown.

If the 22-year-old Alcaraz can find a way to bounce back against Djokovic and go on to lift the trophy in Melbourne, he will become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era (winning the singles title at all four majors). The current holder of that record is Alcaraz’s fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is in the stands inside Rod Laver Arena watching two of his former ATP Tour rivals do battle.

Just as he had against Sinner, Djokovic came out determined to dictate play with his forehand in his 11th Australian Open final, and the Serbian carved out the opening three break points of the match in the fourth game. Although Alcaraz held his nerve to fend off the first two, Djokovic prevailed in an extended baseline rally on the third to gain an early advantage.

Alcaraz, who himself contested the longest semi-final in tournament history on Friday against Alexander Zverev, was uncharacteristically flat in the early stages. Djokovic expertly capitalised on his momentum by breaking his opponent’s serve again in the eighth game to clinch a set in which he dropped just two points behind serve, according to Infosys Stats.