Carlos Alcaraz is chasing the history of Club No. 1 as the Career Grand Slam approaches at the Australian Open | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz is chasing Club history No. 1 as the Career Grand Slam approaches at the Australian Open

The Spaniard would become the sixth man in the Open Era to achieve this feat

January 16, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the 2026 Australian Open with more than just the first trophy of the year in his sights.

World No. 1 is playing for a chance to complete the Career Grand Slam and join another elite list. If Alcaraz wins in Melbourne, he will become just the sixth man in the Open Era – and ATP No. 1 Club fifth – win all four major titles at least once.

Alcaraz will join Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Rod Laver famously captured all four majors in one season in 1969, but the PIF ATP Rankings were not introduced until 1973. Since then, only four men have completed the Career Grand Slam, each carving a unique path through tennis history.

Andre Agassi
After back-to-back defeats in the Roland Garros finals in 1990 and 1991, Agassi finally qualified for the clay court title eight years later in 1999. The American came from two sets down against Andrei Medvedev in the final to become the first man in the PIF ATP Rankings era to complete a Career Grand Slam.

“That was the day, between the lines of the tennis court, when I knew I would never regret it again,” Agassi told the Tennis Channel last year. “It was the last of the four for me to win. It was one that I would have gotten 10 years earlier for a couple of times.”

During his career, Agassi won eight major titles and spent 101 weeks at World No. 1 before retiring in 2006.

Roger Federer
Federer also completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, in 2009, when he finally won the one major that had eluded him. His straight sets victory over Robin Soderling came years after three consecutive final losses to arch-rival Rafael Nadal.

“This could be my biggest win, or rather it will take a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” Federer said after the match. “I think that my whole career I would enjoy playing and I have never felt that I have never won Roland Garros.”

The Swiss legend lifted 20 major trophies, including winning three other major trophies at least five times each during his career. He also reached the Roland Garros final in 2011, but was stopped for the fourth time by Nadal.

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Rafael Nadal
Nadal won his Career Grand Slam at the 2010 US Open, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to do so at age 24. The victory marked one of Spain’s most outstanding years, winning the last three Grand Slam tournaments to complete a sweep of the rare spot.

By winning the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal achieved a career Grand Slam double, winning each of the four majors at least twice – a testament to his adaptability beyond his record 14 Roland Garros titles. The Spaniard finished his career with 22 Grand Slam titles and an enduring reputation for competitive toughness.

Novak Djokovic
Djokovic completed his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros 2016, joining Federer and Nadal in a golden era defined by the historic Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. He had fallen in three previous finals – two to Nadal (2012, 14) and one to Stan Wawrinka (2015) – but made no mistake with a four-set victory over Andy Murray.

“It’s incredibly exciting to know that Rod Laver is the last one to do that,” said Djokovic, who held all four major titles at the same time. “There aren’t many words to describe it. It’s one of the biggest challenges you have as a tennis player. I’m very proud, I’m very happy.”

Djokovic would go on to complete the Career Grand Slam three times, becoming the only man in history to do so. He holds the record for 24 major titles and has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1 throughout his career.

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Alcaraz at the Crossroads
Now, six-time major champion Alcaraz stands on the verge of joining this elite group. In the next two weeks at Melbourne Park, history will play out again for the 22-year-old.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” said Alcaraz after his victory at the 2025 US Open, talking about completing the Career Grand Slam. “When I go to the preseason to [see] what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, the Australian Open is there.

“It’s always a big goal for me to finish the Career Grand Slam, the Calendar Grand Slam… So it will be great.”