Carlos Alcaraz has made it abundantly clear that winning the Australian and completing the Career Grand Slam is his biggest priority in 2026. In a previous interview, he even spoke about how important this milestone is to him, even stating that he would rather win the AO this year than claim two other majors. That alone reflects the weight this title carries in his personal goals. But can he become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam? Well, the answer partly lies in the 2026 AO draw!

The draw has now confirmed the challenge ahead. Alcaraz, the top seed and world number one in the PIF ATP Rankings, begins his campaign against local hope Adam Walton. These two had previously met each other at the HSBC Championships last year. In that R32 clash, the Spaniard defeated Walton in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(4). If Alcaraz gets off to a winning start, he could then possibly face the 34-year-old German Yannick Hanfmann in the second round. Alcaraz has defeated Hanfmann two times in his career before.

Following that, there is a high chance of a tricky contest in the third round. The world number 34, Corentin Moutet, will also be eager to face Carlos Alcaraz for the very first time in his career. After that comes the real challenge for the Spaniard! Tommy Paul will be keen to secure his third win against the Spaniard in their eighth meeting. What a match it would be! Recently, Paul also opened up about why it’s so difficult to beat players like Sinner and Alcaraz.

“They are very good players and adapt. They don’t allow you to play the same tennis as in the first set. Many times I feel the first set is going my way, and then it’s easy to notice in the second set that Sinner or Alcaraz start playing the match much more their way and aggressively, changing direction more. Basically, they take the lead in the second set; it’s very hard not to let them do that. Especially after a set, you can literally see how their mentality changes, and once they switch their mindset, it’s hard to stop them from doing what they want.”

A potential QF against the sixth seed and also the home favorite, Alex de Minaur, also looms, meaning Carlos Alcaraz will likely have to get through two Australians in a high-pressure home atmosphere. He has a clean sheet against the ‘Demon’ (5-0). And then, in the SF, the current world number 3, Alexander Zverev, could be his possible opponent. Zverev reached the final last year, but he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in a three-set thriller in that match.

Zverev has a 6-6 record against the Spaniard. So, this will be a real challenge for Carlitos. In the finals, it will go down to a blockbuster clash against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic. Carlos Alcaraz has the upper hand against the Italian when it comes to the H2H record (10-6). But against the Serb, he’s trailing by 4-5. Remember what happened last year?

Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the QF of the 2025 AO by 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. So, it’s a brutal layout on paper – a mix of in-form stars, big serves, and proven Grand Slam threats.

Both Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner have also been handed a tough draw this year. The Serb will start his campaign against the Spaniard Pedro Martinez, while Sinner will play against the Frenchman Hugo Gaston. If the Serb manages to reach the fourth round, he could possibly face Jakub Mensik (R16), Taylor Fritz (QF), and Jannik Sinner in the semis before crossing paths with Alcaraz in a possible mega grand finale.

While Sinner’s challenge may well start from the third round itself, as he has a good chance of facing Joao Fonseca in that round before setting up a possible clash against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Ben Shelton in the next two rounds. Who’ll have the last among Alcaraz, Sinner, and Djokovic this year in Melbourne?

The Australian Open remains the only major where Carlos Alcaraz has yet to make a deep breakthrough. Despite being a two-time quarterfinalist (2024, 2025), Alcaraz has yet to truly dominate in Melbourne the way he has at the other three majors. For a player of his caliber, this tournament remains unfinished business. But can he do it this time?

Tennis bigwigs share thoughts about Carlos Alcaraz’s chances at the 2026 AO

The first Grand Slam of the year is just days away, and on the men’s side, the 2026 Australian Open narrative is shaping into a two-man battle. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the two top-ranked players in the ATP Tour, are widely seen as the overwhelming favorites to lift the title in Melbourne this year. Sinner arrives as the two-time defending champion, targeting a historic three-peat, while Alcaraz steps into Melbourne with the chance to become the youngest player ever to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Recently, while speaking to the Laver Cup website, the 11x Grand Slam champion, Rod Laver, shared his thoughts about who’s currently leading the race to win the ‘Happy Slam’ this year between these two superstars. “It’s extremely difficult to predict, which is a great situation for tennis to be in. So many players could take it. Of course, Sinner and Alcaraz are top of the list as their rivalry grows. Sinner continues to strengthen his game and is the two-time defending champion, but if the conditions are hot, I’d say Carlos has an edge, and his desire to win is going to be higher than ever because he hasn’t won it before.”

Previously, in an interview, when Carlos Alcaraz was asked whether he believed he could snatch away the Melbourne crown from Jannik Sinner, he said, “Oh, I will try, obviously! But you know, we will see how it’s gonna be. Three amazing weeks ahead of us, if it is three.”

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Talking about his chances at the 2026 AO, former Spanish star Alex Corretja also shared his views on this in an interview with Eurosport. “For Carlos, it’s the only Slam he hasn’t triumphed in, but I think finishing 2025 with more freshness might have allowed him to come to the pre-season with more energy, enabling him to find his best version in Melbourne.”

With legends backing him and the motivation higher than ever, Carlos Alcaraz enters the AO carrying both expectation and opportunity. How far do you think he can go this year?