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Carlos Alcaraz makes tennis history as youngest man to complete career Grand Slam as he beats Novak Djokovic | The Express Tribune
Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final to complete a career Grand Slam at age 22
Carlos Alcaraz takes a selfie with fans at the Australian Open. Photo: AFP
Carlos Alcaraz has rewritten tennis history by becoming the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam after an epic victory over Novak Djokovic in the men’s final at the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne. The 22‑year‑old Spaniard fought back from losing the first set to beat the 38‑year‑old Serbian legend in four sets 2‑6, 6‑2, 6‑3, 7‑5, adding the only major title that had previously eluded him and securing all four Grand Slam trophies before his 23rd birthday.
Alcaraz’s win at Rod Laver Arena not only marked his first Australian Open title and his seventh major overall but also set a new record as he completed the career Grand Slam younger than any man in tennis history. He surpassed the decades‑old mark first set by Don Budge in 1938, achieving the feat at 22 years and 272 days.
The final was a meeting of generations, pitting the world number one against one of the sport’s most decorated champions. Djokovic, who had been unbeaten in ten previous Australian Open finals, was seeking an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title but was unable to maintain his early momentum after taking the first set. Despite the loss, Djokovic’s presence in another major final highlighted his enduring excellence in the sport.
Fans quickly flooded social media and discussion forums with praise for Alcaraz and admiration for his performance under pressure. Some comments noted that Alcaraz’s win kept Djokovic from making history with 25 major titles, adding intrigue to both players’ legacies.
Observers also pointed to Alcaraz’s resilience throughout the tournament. He dropped only a handful of sets on the way to the final, including a grueling five‑hour semifinal match before Friday that tested his physical and mental stamina. His comeback in the final after losing the opening set underlined his ability to adapt and elevate his game against the very best competition.
In the trophy ceremony moments after his historic win, Alcaraz spoke about what the achievement meant to him and acknowledged the influence of tennis greats he grew up watching. Completing the Grand Slam set before the age of 23 has placed him among the sport’s elite, alongside players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic himself, who have each reached the same milestone later in their careers.
The victory also sparked conversations about the future of men’s tennis. With Alcaraz now firmly established as the dominant force in the game and Djokovic continuing to compete at an elite level despite his age, fans and analysts alike are speculating about how many more majors the young champion might capture and whether he might one day challenge all‑time records.
As celebrations continue across the tennis world, Alcaraz’s historic moment in Melbourne will be remembered as a defining milestone in a career that has already reached remarkable heights by the age of 22.
Zimbabwe claimed an eight-wicket win over Oman in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Monday.
Chasing Oman’s modest total of 104, Zimbabwe reached the target in 14 overs, losing just two wickets. Openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani gave the team a strong start, scoring quickly in a low-scoring contest.
Marumani was dismissed in the fourth over by Sufyan Mehmood for 21 off 11 balls, which included five boundaries, breaking the 30-run opening stand. Shortly after, Dion Myers fell for a second-ball duck, leaving Zimbabwe at 30-2 in 3.3 overs.
Brian Bennett found support from Brendan Taylor, and together they took the team past the 50-run mark in the seventh over, achieving a 50-run partnership.
However, Taylor retired hurt after scoring 31 off 30 balls, making way for skipper Sikandar Raza.
Raza struck a boundary to hit the winning runs, remaining unbeaten on five off two deliveries, while Bennett top-scored with 48 off 36 balls, including seven fours.
Batting first, Oman got off to a disappointing start as captain Jatinder Singh was dismissed for a run-a-ball five on the first delivery of the second over, bowled by Blessing Muzarabani.
The pressure intensified in the following over when Hammad Mirza was dismissed for a five-ball duck by Richard Ngarava, leaving Oman struggling early at 8-2 in 2.2 overs.
Oman slipped further in the fourth over as Kaleem was dismissed cheaply for five off seven deliveries, including one boundary. In the same over, Karan Sonavale was sent back for a duck, compounding Oman’s troubles.
The collapse continued when Sikandar Raza clean-bowled Wasim Ali for three off eight deliveries reducing Oman to 27-5 in six overs.
Sufyan Mehmood and Vinayak Shukla then attempted to steady the innings, putting together a 42-run partnership to take the total past the 50-run mark.
However, Ngarava broke the stand by dismissing Shukla for 28 off 21 deliveries, featuring four boundaries, with the score at 69-6 in 14.1 overs.
In the same over, Oman lost their seventh wicket as Jiten Ramanandi was dismissed for one off three balls, giving Ngarava his third wicket of the innings.
Brad Evans struck in the 17th over to remove Mehmood, who top-scored with 25 off 39 deliveries, including two fours. Despite early struggles, Nadeem Khan and Shakeel Ahmed added some late runs.
Evans bowled the final over and dismissed Shakeel for four, while Shah Faisal struck a boundary off his first delivery to take Oman past the 100-run mark.
Nadeem Khan was the final wicket to fall, dismissed by Evans after scoring a crucial 20 off 18 deliveries.
For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava led the bowling attack with three wickets each, while Sikandar Raza chipped in with one.
Officials asked teams to open their millennial playlists and skate their first program to music from the ’90s.
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Scotland scored 207 runs against Italy in the seventh match of the ICC T20 World Cup
Scotland has set a target of 208 runs for Italy to win, Scotland has become the first team to score more than 200 runs in the T20 World Cup.
George Munsey stood out for Scotland by scoring 84 runs, George Munsey’s innings included 13 fours and 2 sixes.
Brendan McMullen scored 41 runs off 19 balls with the help of 4 sixes, Thomas, JJ Smits, Grant Stewart and Hasan took one wicket each for Italy.
Scotland scored 207 runs for the loss of four wickets in the stipulated twenty overs and gave Italy a target of 208 runs.
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