NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam after claiming the Australian Open title against Novak Djokovic, who had never lost in his 10 previous finals at Melbourne Park.

The world number one Alcaraz dropped the opening set on Sunday as Djokovic came out strong in pursuit of a record 25th major title, but the Spaniard bounced back to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

The 22-year-old scrambled to retrieve shots that would usually be winners for Djokovic and maintained relentless pressure on his 38-year-old opponent throughout the match.

After securing victory, Alcaraz let his racket slip from his hand and fell onto his back, holding his head in disbelief. He stayed on the ground for a few seconds before walking to the net to shake hands with Djokovic. The two exchanged a few words, and Djokovic smiled as he congratulated the new champion. Alcaraz then ran to hug his coaches in the courtside chairs and later embraced his father and other team members in the stands.

Both players had come off gruelling five-set semifinal wins and displayed remarkable fitness, athleticism, and stamina over more than three hours as they chased their own historic milestones.

Neither competitor gave an inch on the crucial points — and there were plenty. In the end, Alcaraz converted five of the 16 breakpoints he created, while Djokovic managed two from his six opportunities.

Djokovic’s bid for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title has now been denied by Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in nine majors. Djokovic had edged Sinner in the semifinals and was aiming to become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open era, but Alcaraz proved too strong in the final.

At 22 years and 272 days, Alcaraz is now the youngest man to complete a set of all four major singles titles, surpassing Don Budge’s mark of 22 years and 363 days set at the 1938 French Championships.

Alcaraz now has seven major titles to his name — his first in Australia, along with two each at Wimbledon, the French Open, and the US Open.

(With AP Inputs)