Carlos Alcaraz revealed that having his idol, Rafael Nadal, watch from the stands provided the “spirit and mindset” needed to win his first Australian Open title on Sunday.
The 22-year-old recovered from losing the opening set to defeat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, becoming the youngest man in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam.
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Before the final, 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, who retired in 2024, had tipped his compatriot to lift the trophy.
Alcaraz had already won two titles each at Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open, and in Melbourne, he surpassed Nadal, who was two years older when he achieved the same feat.
Nadal later greeted Alcaraz beneath the stadium, where the pair shared an emotional embrace and exchanged warm words.
“This moment is really special, but having Rafa in the stands made it even more special, to be honest,” Alcaraz said.
“Lifting the trophy for the first time in Australia is a dream come true. I dreamt about winning the Australian Open and completing the career Grand Slam.”
Alcaraz also reflected on his gruelling semi-final, where he battled through cramps and overturned a 3-5 deficit in the fifth set during a five-hour epic against Alexander Zverev.
He revealed he drew inspiration from Nadal’s famous 2009 Australian Open semi-final against Fernando Verdasco, which lasted 5 hours 14 minutes before Nadal went on to defeat Roger Federer in the final.
“After the semi-final, I thought about that match Rafa played against Verdasco and how he came back physically to win the final,” Alcaraz said.
“It was about pushing through, and having him there gave me a good spirit and the right mindset.”
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