Carlos Alcaraz surpasses Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick record after his Australian Open second round win

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Carlos Alcaraz is on track for another strong Australian Open run after easing into the third round in Melbourne.

Alcaraz could meet Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, but his immediate focus turns to ​​Nuno Borges in round three.

The Spaniard soared past Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets in his latest Australian Open match, with Alcaraz the third seed in Melbourne.

Alcaraz can win the career Grand Slam if he goes all the way, having shared the major honours with ATP number one Jannik Sinner in 2024.

Sinner won the Australian Open and US Open last time out, with his Spanish rival winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz wins 26th Grand Slam hard court match before turning 22

His first Grand Slam success came at the 2022 US Open, with the 21-year-old already boasting major titles on hard, clay and grass courts.

And the latest triumph now puts the youngster in very fine company, with only Djokovic (29), Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt (28) and Marat Safin (27) winning more Open Era men’s singles Grand Slam hard court matches than Alcaraz (26) before turning 22, as per OptaAce.

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Very impressively, the world number three has surpassed other icons Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick (25).

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner face potential Australian Open final

Alcaraz boasts a simply stunning Grand Slam record despite preparing for just his 22nd birthday in May this year.

All four of his final successes have come against hugely talented opponents, with two coming against 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic.

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Australian Open glory has, however, not been achieved thus far, but it looks likely of only being a matter of time.

But equally likely will be Alcaraz’s need to topple Sinner, with seven of the Italian’s eight titles in 2024 coming on hard courts.

In comparison, two of the Spaniard’s titles came on the surface, one of which did arrive against Sinner in their Beijing final.

A repeat is now on the cards in Melbourne, with Alcaraz and Sinner having been kept apart in the main draw.