Carlos Alcaraz has made a solid start to the Australian Open, reaching the third round without dropping a set.
He moved past Yannick Hanfmann and Adam Walton in straight sets and is now set to take on Corentin Moutet. Although Alcaraz hasn’t hit top form just yet, he’s likely to need it if he’s going to challenge Jannik Sinner, who has held this title for the past three years.
Speaking earlier in the week about what he wants most in 2026, Alcaraz put the Australian Open at the top of his list but left out three other Grand Slams. He had another event in mind instead.
Carlos Alcaraz reveals the two 2026 titles he wants most
Alcaraz was asked by Los Gonzalez de Tour to name the two tournaments he most wants to win in 2026. “Australian Open and the Davis Cup,” he replied.
He’s still chasing both titles in his career, and winning in Melbourne would complete his Career Grand Slam.
If Alcaraz does manage to win the Australian Open in 2026, he’ll become the youngest player ever to hold all four majors.
His choice of Davis Cup over another Grand Slam might catch some off guard, but Alcaraz has always spoken about how much representing Spain means to him.
Though expected to play for Spain at the 2025 Davis Cup Finals, an injury picked up during the ATP Finals forced him to withdraw from the squad.
Spain still made it through to the final, but fell short against Italy. Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini helped secure Italy’s third straight title win.
John McEnroe says Carlos Alcaraz still has work to do at the Australian Open
Alcaraz hasn’t dropped a set yet, but John McEnroe thinks there’s plenty more to come from the Spaniard as the tournament goes on.
The former player, now working as a broadcaster, told TNT Sports that Alcaraz didn’t look his sharpest in the win over Hanfmann.
“He played poorly by his standards,” McEnroe said. “Of course, the top guys want to save it for the second week. But you can’t bank on it. But he settled in as the match went on and started doing his thing a little better.
“But he’s not gonna look at this match and be like, ‘Wow, okay, that’s where I need to be’, because he’s definitely got some room for improvement.”
Alcaraz faces Moutet next up on Friday 23rd January, with start times still to be decided.
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