After the electric comebacks, the magical shot-making, and the passion, belief and smile that had defined his remarkable ascent, this was the moment where Carlos Alcaraz took the step from generational talent to standing alone in the pantheon of the greatest tennis players of all time. As Novak Djokovic sensed his opportunity to make history, Alcaraz wrote his own: by winning his first Australian Open title, overturning Djokovic to win 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 and under enormous pressure, Alcaraz becomes the youngest man of all time to complete the career grand slam at 22 years and 272 days.
He joins the illustrious list of Don Budge, Fred Perry, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic to win all four major titles, doing so faster than anyone else. He is more than a year younger than his Nadal was when he set the Open-era record at 2010 US Open at the age of 24. Fittingly, Nadal had a front-row seat at the Rod Laver Arena as Alcaraz continued to walk in his compatriot’s footsteps, while also breaking new ground. ”Nobody knows how how hard I’ve been working, to get this trophy, to chase this moment,” the Spaniard said.
Alcaraz denied Djokovic in his own bid to make tennis history, overturning his opponent’s fast start to win 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 (AP)
It was Djokovic who perhaps summed up Alcaraz’s achievement best: “What you’ve been doing, I think the best word to describe it is historic, legendary, so congratulations and I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your career. I mean, you’re so young, you have a lot of time, like myself! So I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other many more times in the next 10 years.”
But in doing so, Alcaraz denied Djokovic his own career-defining record. One way or another, history was guaranteed in a seismic final, as Djokovic attempted to claim the standalone tally of 25 grand slam singles titles and become the oldest grand slam champion of all time at the age of 38. Not for the first time, the Serbian was suppressed by Alcaraz, who defeated the greatest of all time for a third time in a grand slam final and snapped his perfect record of 10 Australian Open finals without defeat.
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After his epic effort to beat Jannik Sinner on Friday, Djokovic faded physically after making a blistering start to the final. But, as he closed in on the finish line, Alcaraz was faced to withstand a late charge from Djokovic as he forced break points late in the fourth set. Throughout his young career, though, it has been in those moments where Alcaraz rises highest. It took a massive effort to get over the line, but after falling to his back when Djokovic fired his final forehand long, Alcaraz broke into the widest of smiles.
Before the final, the world No 1 made it perfectly clear how important the Australian Open and completing the career grand slam was to him; Alcaraz even said he would trade winning the three other grand slam titles this season for a first Australian Open. And yet, Alcaraz arrived at his most important tournament of the year having split from his long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero during the off-season. “It was a little bit rollercoaster, emotionally, what we went through,” Alcaraz said as he thanked his corner for helping him block out the noise. He still leaves Melbourne having achieved his biggest goal. “Job finished. 4/4 completed,” he wrote.
How Carlos Alcaraz ranks in list of men to complete career grand slam
Carlos Alcaraz: 22 years 272 days, completed at 2026 Australian Open
Don Budge: 22 years 363 days, completed at 1938 French Championships
Rod Laver: 24 years 32 days, completed at 1962 US National Championships
Rafael Nadal: 24 years 102 days, completed at2010 US Open
Fred Perry: 26 years 15 days, completed at 1935 French Championships
Roy Emerson: 27 years 244 days, completed at 1964 Wimbledon Championships
Roger Federer: 27 years 303 days, completed at 2009 Roland Garros
Novak Djokovic: 29 years 15 day, completed at 2016 Roland Garros
Andre Agassi: 29 years 68 days, completed at 1999 Roland Garros
Both men faced a huge test to recover for the final after coming through marathon semi-finals. Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in five hours and 27 minutes in the third-longest Australian Open match of all time, before Djokovic produced one of his greatest ever performances to end Sinner’s dominant run across five sets and four hours and nine minutes. As the match finished well after midnight in Melbourne, Djokovic did not go to bed until 6am on Saturday morning and neither men trained on the day before the final as they attempted to recover. “I think he deserves an ovation,” Alcaraz said.
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(REUTERS)
With 15 years and 348 days between them, Djokovic said the younger man would have the advantage in the attempt to find fresh legs, but it was the elder who came flying out of the blocks. Producing a brilliant level of precise serving and replicating the huge forehand strike that was so effective in beating Sinner from the baseline in the semi-finals, Djokovic played an outstanding first set and made just four unforced errors in a 39-minute opener. The second set brought a complete reverse, however, as Djokovic’s level of serving dipped and Alcaraz won the majority of baseline points.
With the conditions in Melbourne cold and windy, the final began under a partially shut roof on Rod Laver Arena. Before the start of the third set, with the chance of rain forecast, the roof closed further, with Alcaraz complaining to the tournament referee. But, with the elements becoming less of a factor, Alcaraz delivered a magical moment to defy Djokovic when the 38-year struck a backhand winner around the net-post. Alcaraz salvaged a forehand from the baseline and, in an electric charge, broke Djokovic for a second time to move one set away from history.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Faced with another comeback, Djokovic called the trainer before the start of the fourth. But in an almighty effort and across a 12-minute service game, he saved six break points to stay alive. He found more precise serving when he desperately needed it as Alcaraz led 4-3, 0-30 in the fourth. Djokovic held again, then raised the temperature of the final and brought his supporters to their feet by setting up break point. Suddenly, as the weight of history became clear, Alcaraz withstood him, as Djokovic missed a second-serve return.
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After Alcaraz held to move 6-5 ahead, the Spaniard produced the finishing blow by winning a 24-shot rally with some of his finest ball-striking of the match. It seemed to break Djokovic, as he attempted to reach the tiebreak and extend his fight. Two errors in a row from Djokovic brought match point, and a further forehand error sealed Alcaraz’s place in tennis history.
The defending NBA Champions are adding to their roster.
McCain has experienced a sophomore slump in his second year in the NBA, after bursting onto the scene as a rookie in 2024-25.
The 21-year-old is averaging 6.6 points, two rebounds and 1.7 assists on 38.5 per cent shooting through 37 games this season.
Last campaign, he was a Rookie of the Year favourite before going down with a torn meniscus. McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 46 per cent shooting in 23 games in 2024-25.
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McCain became expendable in Philadelphia after the 76ers drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The move also provides them with the flexibility to bring Quentin Grimes back in free agency and convert two-way guard Dominick Barlow, per Charania.
Former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder opens up about his mental health struggles, and says he’s now “at peace” before his fight against Derek Chisora on 4 April at London’s O2 Arena.
Naoya Inoue remains as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound superstars and the Japanese phenomenon may finally move up to featherweight this year. There, each of the 126lb champions are hoping to be selected as his opponent, but none more so than a newly crowned titleholder from the United States.
Inoue has ruled at light-flyweight, super-flyweight, bantamweight and super-bantamweight over the course of his 32-fight career, becoming undisputed at both 118lbs and 122lbs as one of just three multi-divisional undisputed champions in the four-belt era.
“It [the fight with Inoue] is very realistic now and I am super excited for what is to come. These next two years are going to be really special, we are going to be making a lot of noise and I think that it is right there, it is on the cusp of happening.
“Everything is really falling into place for me, man. I really want to be the first guy to do it, to beat Inoue, and then we are going to be on that road, superstardom level.
“[I would rather] a fight with him [than unifications], because with the unifications, I feel like I could still do that regardless, after [fighting Inoue]. I think that the fight with him is something that I want more, because it would just put me on that level.
“Me beating him would put me on a certain level, over the unification fights, honestly.”
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Carrington then went on to explain why he believes that the interest in that bout should not be one-sided, declaring that Inoue should be seeking events across the pond in order to improve on his star power.
“He should have some interest in fighting in America as well, that will make him into an even bigger fighter if he becomes more successful with more fights here and builds his name.”
Should Inoue wish to debut at featherweight in the U.S. then Carrington sticks out as the obvious candidate and with his New York roots, a clash at Madison Square Garden makes sense for both men, providing Inoue comes through his meeting with Nakatani unscathed.
Deontay Wilder stormed out of an interview on Wednesday after taking issue with a line of questioning about Tyson Fury, one of his biggest rivals, ahead of a press conference with upcoming opponent Derek Chisora.
On 4 April, Wilder will box Chisora in a heavyweight main event at London’s O2 Arena, in what is expected to be Chisora’s final fight as a professional.
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At 42, Britain’s Chisora is a seasoned veteran, while former world champion Wilder is similarly experienced at 40. But while Chisora has been enjoying a resurgence recently, winning his last three bouts, Wilder is in must-win territory after going 2-4 in his last six contests.
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The American, seen as arguably the most-devastating puncher of his generation, was on a frightening run of unanswered victories until 2018, when he secured a controversial draw with Fury. In 2020, Fury stopped Wilder to take the WBC title from the “Bronze Bomber”, before replicating that result in a third clash in 2021. Since then, Wilder has stopped Robert Helenius and Tyrrell Anthony Herndon but lost to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.
But his past with Fury cropped up again this week, when Wilder accused the Briton of having cheated during their rivalry. This was put to Wilder before Wednesday’s press conference with Chisora, as the American was questioned by TalkSport host Simon Jordan.
“I don’t want to talk about him,” Wilder told Jordan, who replied. “No, you’re going to.”
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“We’re here about Derek Chisora,” Wilder pushed back. “We’re not gonna talk about him [Fury] at all. I’m not gonna talk about him at all. Understand that.”
“No, fair enough,” Jordan said, in a bid to cool an intensifying atmosphere, with Wilder responding: “Alright then, so let’s move on. It’s all about Derek Chisora, that’s it. I’m back, baby! You all understand that? 4 April, it’s going down at the O2, you better be there or you’ll be a square.”
Deontay Wilder (right) takes on Britain’s Derek Chisora on April 4th (Getty Images)
“I understand that, I understand that,” said Jordan. “Fabulous. The only reason I mentioned it is because it’s part of the shtick that goes with you, and I missed you the first time around, when you came in here three years ago – when you were in your pomp four years ago, doing ‘Bomb Squad!’ and all that sort of stuff.
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“And I have always wanted to have a conversation with you, because you’ve made observations about Fury. I have my views on Fury, and you’ve called him a cheat.”
“The biggest in boxing!” Wilder exclaimed, before making accusations against Fury, who is due to emerge from his fifth retirement when he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. Fury has always denied any accusations against him.
“But it leads me to a conclusion,” Jordan followed up. “I want to put something to you about you, and Fury just happens to be the hook for it. You talked about being cheated in that fight, you talked about water being spiked.”
“Facts,” said Wilder, before Jordan added: “You talked about your [ring walk] outfit being too heavy for you.”
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Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of cheating during their trilogy fights between 2018-2021 (Getty Images)
“I didn’t say that,” Wilder claimed. Jordan went on: “You talked about a long count [by the referee in the first fight with Fury].”
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After Wilder said “facts” once more, Jordan continued: “It sounds to me, given the character you are, that’s a little bit flaky. You lost those fights, and those fights were lost, and you saying someone like Fury cheated you in those fights is kind of disappointing to me.”
“Because I know the truth!” shouted Wilder. “I have the facts. Understand that […] Because when the documentary and everything starts to come out, I’m gonna show everything.” Earlier in the week, Wilder had similarly referenced a documentary he is apparently working on.
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“I’m not a Fury fan,” Jordan said, as Wilder stood up from his chair and walked towards the host, with security holding back the boxer.
“I don’t give a f*** about that!” Wilder shouted. “I don’t give a f*** about it! I said we didn’t want to bring him up in the first place. It ain’t got s*** to do with him!”
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Wilder’s last fight was his stoppage of Herndon in the seventh round in June, while Chisora’s was his decision win over Otto Wallin in February 2025.
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Chisora vs Wilder will mark each man’s 50th fight as a professional.
Tony Khan will present tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Las Vegas this week. The show will take place at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort, and fans have high expectations for it. AEW has announced a stacked lineup of stars for the show, including some big-time matches featuring top AEW names.
As of now, Tony Khan has announced four big showdowns for the event. Hangman Page will take on Mark Davis in a singles clash. Apart from that, Andrade and Kenny Omega will also square off in a big matchup. Moreover, MJF will take on Brody King in an AEW World Title Eliminator Match. Additionally, Jack Perry and Ricochet will also clash over the AEW National Title. There are several other top stars like Kris Statlander and Jon Moxley expected to appear on the show.
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In this article, let’s take a look at 3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite:
#3. A clear decision for the Andrade and Kenny Omega match
Andrade will face Kenny Omega tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a much-anticipated showdown between the two stars following El Idolo’s attack on The Cleaner on Dynamite’s 6th Anniversary last year. However, both stars are brimming with momentum as of late in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Besides, Andrade and Omega are top contenders for the AEW World Championship.
Therefore, Tony Khan can create a solid storyline involving the two stars down the line. However, a defeat to any one of them could destroy their momentum. Hence, instead of giving this match a clear closure, there should be a screwed ending for this showdown. It would help Khan to keep this feud open without affecting anyone’s credibility and momentum in the company.
#2. No follow-up on Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford’s title quest
Last week, on AEW Dynamite, Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford came down the aisle to give a staredown to the AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander and the AEW World Women’s Tag Team Champions Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron. That moment alone shone a massive spotlight on Bayne and Ford, sparking interest from a lot of fans in their work down the line.
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However, if Tony Khan did not give any follow-up to that intense staredown, it would make last week’s segment meaningless. Instead, the AEW President should book Bayne and Ford in some sort of confrontation with The Babes of Wrath and Kris Statlander. Besides, fans have been clamoring to see Megan chase the AEW Women’s World Title. Therefore, it sets up a golden opportunity for AEW to build Megan Bayne to the top.
#1. Another loss to Jack Perry on AEW Dynamite
Jack Perry will challenge the champion Ricochet for the AEW National Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a rematch between the two stars after their last title match on 31 December 2025, AEW Dynamite. Perry made his return to AEW last year following a prolonged hiatus. However, he has not achieved anything big since then in the company.
He has already faced a defeat against Ricochet on Dynamite, and another loss could heavily impact his credibility. Therefore, Tony Khan should crown Perry a new National Champion tonight. The Lightskin Kingpin has already managed to have a decent run with the title. The Scapegoat has the potential to heavily elevate the prestige of the championship down the line.
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Briton Lone’er Kavanagh has stepped in at less than a month’s notice to fight Brandon Moreno in Mexico on 28 February.
Earlier this week Asu Almabayev withdrew from the flyweight contest with Moreno because of injury.
Kavanagh, 26, had been booked to fight at UFC London on 20 March and will now face by far his toughest test to date against the former flyweight champion.
The Mexican will have the weight of a famously feverish home support behind him, but is at a crossroads in his career with three defeats in his past five appearances.
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Moreno, 32, was stopped by Tatsuro Taira in his last outing in December but remains ranked at number four in the division.
Kavanagh, ranked 15th, can boost his status considerably with a win on away soil.
The Londoner suffered the first defeat of his MMA career in his last bout in August, losing by stoppage to Charles Johnson.
Though Kavanagh is now off the UFC London card, there will still be plenty of British fighters in action.
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Featherweight Lerone Murphy headlines against Movsar Evloev, while Nathaniel Wood, Luke Riley, Michael ‘Venom’ Page, Christian Leroy Duncan and more are set to appear.
Another Canadian Olympic medallist has been suspended.
Pole vaulter Alysha Newman, who won bronze at the 2024 Summer Olympics, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit on Wednesday for whereabouts failures.
Canadian swimmer and seven-time Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak was suspended two years for the same thing back in November.
To be suspended, an athlete has to miss three doping tests in a 12-month timeline.
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Newman, 31, has not vaulted since a Diamond League event last May.
At the Paris Games in 2024, Newman soared to an improbable bronze in her third Olympics.
The London, Ont., native set a personal best and national record with a vault of 4.85 metres to place third.
She also won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2019 Pan American Games.
January is a time for renewal — for mind, body, spirit, and of course, golf equipment.
And there’s no better indication of what’s resonating with gear-heads than a deep dive into the month’s best-sellers, which include all the latest new-for-2026 tech.
Topping the list so far is a pair of iron models from Mizuno, the Pro M-13 and Pro M-15. The Pro M-13 is designed to be used by a range of handicaps while the Pro M-15 is primarily for distance-seekers. But both models offer impressive launch, speed and spin.
Next up: Ping’s G440K driver, which is already in play with a number of top players on Tour. A new Dual Carbonfly Wrap crown and sole, a new acoustic rib structure and an adjustable backweight for the first time on this model makes it the manufacturer’s most forgiving driver ever.
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Another hot driver is TaylorMade’s Qi4D, which is designed for speed and distance, and incorporates a stock-shaft fit system to encourage straighter ballflight. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood already have this one in the bag.
Finally, another iron making a splash is Cobra’s 3DP X, a game-improvement iron created from 3D-printing technology that uses single-piece construction rather than a face insert. The result: faster ball speeds and spin to keep the ball in the air.
Interested in adding one of these top-sellers to your equipment arsenal? Explore each club in detail below by clicking on the links below, and customize your club in your Fairway Jockey cart now!
Shop January’s top-selling clubs from Fairway Jockey
ITV will introduce in-play advertising to its Six Nations coverage this week, a first for UK live sports broadcasting, starting with Ireland’s trip to holders France on Thursday night.
The broadcaster will run two adverts in each half, shown during breaks in play before scrums. The promotions will appear in a picture-in-picture format, taking up roughly half the screen while the match continues.
Commercial deals have been agreed with Samsung and Virgin Atlantic. Samsung’s advert will promote its Galaxy Fold 27 phone, showing fans watching live rugby together on a mobile device and asking: “Can your phone make you feel this close?” Virgin Atlantic’s slot will focus on the airline’s global routes.
While ITV has stressed the ads will only appear during natural stoppages, the move has already prompted debate about the impact on rugby’s flow and viewing experience.
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Among the first to react was South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus who responded with a series of pointed social media posts.
Quoting the original report, Erasmus initially wrote “Rerig?”, a sarcastic reference to re-engineering rugby broadcasts to accommodate advertising.
He followed that up with a second post: “O shit Daan, wat nou?”
The tone was typical Erasmus: short, dry, and clearly sceptical of a direction that risks chipping away at the rhythm of the game.
For now, the experiment applies only to rugby. ITV would require separate approval to introduce similar in-play advertising during football broadcasts, including the World Cup.
8AM Golf — the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based holding company with more than a dozen golf-related brands in its portfolio, including GOLF.com, Miura and True Spec — announced Wednesday that it has taken a significant equity stake in ascendant performance-footwear brand PAYNTR Golf.
PAYNTR launched its first pair of shoes in 2021 and is among the game’s fastest-growing footwear brands. On the PGA Tour, PAYNTR shoes are worn by Jason Day (who is an equity parter), Min Woo Lee, Sam Burns and Isaiah Salinda. Justin Rose claimed his 13th PGA Tour win at the Farmers Insurance Open last week wearing PAYNTRs, and is among a contingent of PGA Tour, LPGA and PGA Tour Champions players who wear PAYNTRs by choice.
“PAYNTR Golf represents everything we look for in a modern golf brand, with its authentic innovation, clear performance benefit and an experienced leadership team deeply rooted in the science of the game,” 8AM Golf CEO and president Hoyt McGarity said in a release. “Their commitment to building products around the biomechanics of the golf swing, combined with their impressive traction at retail and on Tour, makes PAYNTR Golf a natural fit within the 8AM portfolio.
Each PAYNTR shoe features a cutting-edge propulsion plate to help golfers harness ground reaction forces to bring more speed and power to the ball during the downswing. The company was co-founded by Mike Forsey and Michael Glancy, who combined have more than 50 years of experience in the golf-shoe business, working at footwear powerhouses Nike, Reebok, Under Armour and FootJoy.
“At its core, PAYNTR Golf was founded to challenge convention by creating footwear that truly enhances how golfers move, generate force and perform on the course,” Forsey said in the release. “Partnering with 8AM Golf is a powerful validation of that mission. Their deep understanding of the golf ecosystem, from media and entertainment to equipment and fitting, makes them an ideal strategic partner as we continue to expand our footprint globally and invest in innovation.”
You can shop the PAYNTR Golf shoe collection at Fairway Jockey by clicking here.
Jason Day is among the PGA Tour pros who wear PAYNTR shoes.
Courtesy
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Golf.com Editor
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.
;)
