Djokovic vs Alcaraz – Australian Open final: Start time, head-to-head

Who: Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic
What: Men’s singles last – Australian Open 2026
When: Sunday, February 1 astatine 19:30 (08:30 GMT)
Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s unrecorded substance and photograph watercourse gets nether mode astatine 05:30 GMT

Novak Djokovic stands 1 measurement distant from cementing his spot arsenic the top tennis subordinate of each time. In his way, though, is Carlos Alcaraz – a modern adversary seeking a vocation milestone of his own.

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Tennis past volition beryllium rewritten erstwhile the brace conscionable successful the men’s singles last of the Australian Open 2026 connected Sunday.

Djokovic is seeking his 25th large rubric to spell past Margaret Court successful the all-time Grand Slam winners’ database successful the Open Era, portion Alcaraz – 16 years his inferior – is looking to go the youngest subordinate to implicit a Career Grand Slam by winning the lone 1 eluding his trophy cabinet.

At 38 years old, the Serb is already the oldest antheral to person qualified for a Grand Slam final, but helium volition beryllium looking to marque the astir of his quality successful Sunday’s blockbuster last to seal a record-extending 25th men’s title.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz, who was the past antheral to bushed Djokovic successful a Grand Slam last astatine Wimbledon 2024, volition purpose to person his debut last astatine the Australian Open into a nighttime erstwhile helium seals a vocation Slam.

Both men participate the lucifer connected the backmost of epic semifinal wins connected Rod Laver Arena connected Friday, with apical effect and satellite fig 1 Alcaraz having a somewhat longer betterment play than fourth-seeded Djokovic.

What’s the Alcaraz-Djokovic tennis rivalry?

In the 5 years since his archetypal quality successful the main circular of a Grand Slam, Alcaraz has swiftly go the look of men’s tennis, and his little past with the iconic Djokovic is often seen arsenic a passing-of-the-baton inter-generational rivalry.

Alcaraz is known for his velocity and power, portion Djokovic relies connected his experience, consistency and resilience to fend disconnected the adjacent procreation of tennis talents.

The young Spaniard’s archetypal gathering against Djokovic came astatine the Madrid Open successful 2022, wherever the location favourite bushed the seasoned successful consecutive sets.

Since then, the brace person met successful Grand Slam settings connected 5 occasions, with Alcaraz winning some finals but Djokovic emerging victorious astatine the Olympics to implicit his Career Super Slam.

Overall, the Serb edges his rival by 5 wins to 4 successful their 9 meetings.

Alcaraz vs Djokovic: Head-to-head

Career win-loss record

• Djokovic: 1163/233
• Alcaraz: 280/65

Career titles:

• Djokovic: 101
• Alcaraz: 24

Career prize money:

• Djokovic: $191.2m
• Alcaraz: $60m

Year turned pro:

• Djokovic: 2003
• Alcaraz: 2018

Alcaraz astatine Grand Slams

Titles: 6

French Open: 2024, 2025

Wimbledon: 2023, 2024

US Open: 2022, 2025

Djokovic astatine Grand Slams

Titles: 24

Australian Open: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023

French Open: 2016, 2021, 2023

Wimbledon: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

US Open: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023

Who won the past Alcaraz-Djokovic match?

Their past brushwood was successful the semifinals of the US Open 2025, wherever eventual champion Alcaraz was excessively beardown for the four-time victor Djokovic.

The lucifer ended 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 successful Alcaraz’s favour.

How did Alcaraz scope the Australian Open 2026 final?

An ailing Alcaraz battled past Alexander Zverev successful a five-set epic to scope his archetypal Australian Open last successful a lucifer lasting 5 hours and 27 minutes. The satellite fig 1 outlasted the German 3rd effect successful blistery conditions with a cramping body.

Road to the final:

• First round: Beat Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(7-2), 6-2
• Second round: Beat Yannick Hanfmann 7-6(7-4), 6-3, 6-2
• Third round: Beat Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1
• Fourth round: Beat Tommy Paul 7-6(7-6), 6-4, 7-5
• Quarterfinal: Beat Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
• Semifinal: Beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5

How did Djokovic scope the Australian Open 2026 final?

Djokovic stunned reigning champion Jannik Sinner aboriginal connected Saturday, with the seasoned turning backmost the timepiece to upset the Italian successful a gruelling four-hour-nine-minute match.

Road to the final:

• First round: Beat Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
• Second round: Beat Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
• Third round: Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(7-4)
• Fourth round: Beat Jakub Mensik via walkover
• Quarterfinal: Beat Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 3-6, 3-1 retired
• Semifinal: Beat Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

What’s being said astir the Djokovic-Alcaraz Australian Open final?

Tennis experts, fans and erstwhile champions person been weighing successful connected what promises to beryllium a modern epic.

Rafael Nadal: “I deliberation the favourite is Carlos. He’s young, helium has the vigor and he’s successful his prime. But I mean, Novak is Novak. He’s a precise peculiar player. I deliberation it’s a affirmative illustration of commitment, of resilience. Novak, for evident reasons, is not astatine his prime, but helium is inactive very, precise competitory astatine an property that is hard to beryllium precise competitive. So afloat respect.”

Andy Roddick: “Man regrets inspiring child.”

How overmuch is the prize wealth for the Australian Open champion?

The men’s singles champion and runner-up volition person $2.9m and $1.5m, respectively, from the full tourney prize wealth of $78.1m.

How to watercourse and travel the Australian Open 2026 final?

Al Jazeera’s build-up to the last volition statesman astatine 05:30 GMT, earlier the unrecorded score, photograph and substance commentary watercourse from 08:30 GMT.