Sachin Tendulkar hails Carlos Alcaraz's patience and composure after win in Australian Open title over Novak Djokovic

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday lauded Carlos Alcaraz’s patience and composure after win in Australian Open title over Novak Djokovic.

He noted that in extended rallies, Alcaraz remained calm, consistently applied pressure on his opponent, and timed his attacks intelligently. Tendulkar also praised Alcaraz’s swift and precise court coverage, describing it as a pleasure to watch, and congratulated him on his achievement.

Tendulkar also acknowledged Djokovic’s performance, saying it was a “valiant effort” from him as well.

Alcaraz has become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz lost the opening set on Sunday as Djokovic, unbeaten in his previous 10 finals at Melbourne Park, came out aggressively in his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title. However, Alcaraz showed resilience and fought back to claim a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory, according to PTI.

As he left the court, Alcaraz signed the television camera lens with a message marking the moment: “Job finished. 4/4 Complete.”

The 22-year-old Spaniard chased down shots that would normally be outright winners for Djokovic and maintained relentless pressure on his 38-year-old opponent. The match featured long, gripping rallies in which both players produced a series of stunning shots, neither willing to give ground or surrender a point.

After sealing the win, Alcaraz dropped his racket and collapsed onto his back, holding his head in disbelief. He remained there briefly before approaching the net to shake hands with Djokovic. The two shared a few words, with Djokovic smiling as he offered his congratulations. The new champion then sprinted to embrace his coaches courtside before celebrating with his father and other members of his team in the stands.

After saluting Djokovic as an inspiration, Alcaraz shifted his focus to thanking his own support team. He had ended his long association with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the close of last season, with Samuel Lopez taking over as the head of his team.

He credited his team for guiding him throughout the process, saying, “We just did the right work, you were pushing me every day to do all the right things”, adding, “I'm just really grateful for everyone I have in my corner right now.”

“First and foremost, congratulations to an amazing tournament and amazing couple of weeks. What you've been doing, the best word to describe is historic, legendary, so congratulations. I wish the best of luck in the rest of your career,” Djokovic stated at the trophy presentation.

Both players entered the final after exhausting five-set semifinal victories and displayed exceptional fitness, athleticism, and endurance over just more than three hours as they chased personal milestones.

Neither was prepared to give ground on crucial points, of which there were plenty. Ultimately, Alcaraz made the difference by converting five of the 16 break points he created, while Djokovic capitalised on two of his six opportunities.

Djokovic’s bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title has now been halted in nine majors by either Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner.

After edging past Sinner in the semifinals, Djokovic was also hoping to become the oldest men’s Grand Slam champion of the Open era, but fell short against Alcaraz in the final.

Meanwhile, at 22 years and 272 days, Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete a career set of all four Grand Slam singles titles, surpassing the record set by Don Budge at the 1938 French Championships, when he was 22 years and 363 days old.

The Spaniard now owns seven major titles, adding his first Australian Open crown to two victories each at Wimbledon, the French Open, and the US Open. He is the ninth man to achieve a career Grand Slam, joining an elite group that includes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.

(With inputs from agency)