Carlos Alcaraz Shares His Main Objective for the 2026 Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz has never gone past the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in his career.

Carlos Alcaraz Shares His Main Objective for the 2026 Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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Carlos Alcaraz will be heading into the 2026 Australian Open with one clear goal in mind, and he’s not afraid to voice it. He has struggled at the tournament for the past few years and has been unable to reach the semi-finals of the same. However, he still remains relentless in making sure he wins the elusive Grand Slam one day.

Alcaraz’s debut at the Australian Open was in 2021 as a successful qualifier, but he crashed out in the first round. The following year, he made another attempt by winning his opening-round match but was eliminated from the event in the third round. He missed the event in 2023 due to injuries, but was back in 2024, reaching the round of 16 for the first time in his career.

He reached the quarter-finals of the tournament but failed to get past Alexander Zverev, who defeated him in four sets. This year, he reached the quarter-finals for the second consecutive season, but still failed to claim his spot in the last four as he lost to Novak Djokovic, who played with an injury.

Alcaraz has won all the Grand Slams apart from the Australian Open. Should he win the Melbourne major title in January, he will complete a Career Grand Slam and can go about his career with a sense of renewed freedom regarding Grand Slam tournaments. He will also become the youngest player to achieve the feat, beating Rafael Nadal’s record (24 years old and 102 days).

During a conversation relayed by Cope Murcia, after Alcaraz was gifted an award for being the best athlete from the region of Murcia, he was asked about his expectations for the Australian Open. The 22-year-old revealed that his major objective at the tournament in Melbourne is to win in 2026:

I’m starting my preseason now, and I’m really excited to begin – to work well and prepare myself physically and mentally as best as possible. My objective for 2026 is Australia, and the good and the bad thing is that it’s the first tournament of the year. We’ll try to be as ready and as well prepared as possible to show a good level and hopefully achieve the goal we want.

Alcaraz has featured in two exhibition matches since the 2025 season came to an end. The World No.1 faced Frances Tiafoe at A Racquet at The Rock event in New Jersey, which he lost. He played against Joao Fonseca the following day at the Miami Invitational in Florida. His final exhibition match will be on the 10th of January against Jannik Sinner in Seoul, South Korea.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals why he often struggles to win the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz has not always been at his best level each time he plays at the Australian Open. He has played some amazing tennis in other major events apart from the Melbourne Slam. Some analysts have pointed out that the court at the Grand Slam tournament is one of the fastest on tour, which seems to be a problem for the Spaniard to handle.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

During the aforementioned interview, he explained why he has struggled to secure the silverware at the Australian Open. The Spaniard admitted that it’s because he doesn’t get into his best rhythm ahead of the tournament, as it is played very early in the year:

I think because it’s the first tournament of the year. It’s about getting into rhythm. It’s not that it doesn’t suit me; it’s just that some players do better there, or when we’ve competed, it’s come down to small details. I think I’ve played very good tennis in Australia; I’ve just missed that final step to go further. I believe and hope this year will be different.

For Alcaraz to win the Australian Open, he will have to beat his rival Jannik Sinner, who has won the tournament for two consecutive seasons. The World No.2 is currently the best player on hard courts and holds one of the best records on the surface. Alcaraz will have to work very hard to beat the Italian star in Melbourne.

Also Read: Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Dismisses Exhibition Event Featuring Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, Calling it ‘a Joke’