Carlos Alcaraz could already have made an error ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of 2026.
Alcaraz has stated that winning the Australian Open is a big goal for him next year, and even picked it over winning two Grand Slams in 2026.
A lot of that comes down to the simple fact that Alcaraz has never won the Australian Open before, the only Grand Slam tournament he is yet to win.
As Alcaraz looks to complete the Career Grand Slam, a Tennis Hall of Famer has suggested he may already have made a mistake in going for his big 2026 goal.
Steve Flink says Carlos Alcaraz may have made a mistake prior to the Australian Open
Alcaraz had a very successful 2025 season, ending the year as world number one after adding two more Grand Slam titles.
Although the ATP Finals were the last official tournament of his season, Alcaraz still signed up to play exhibition events, which he has been criticised for.
What do you really think about tennis exhibitions?
When discussing Alcaraz on the Court-Side with Beilinson Tennis YouTube channel, Tennis Hall of Fame journalist Steve Flink claimed that playing exhibitions may have been a mistake by the Spaniard in his Australian Open preparations.
Flink also suggested that Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero may also not be best pleased by this decision.
“Carlos has never shown us his best yet in Australia…I don’t think Ferrero and his team are wild about the idea of Carlos spending his off-season coming and playing exhos over here,” said Flink.
“He has every right to do it, but he has a lifetime to make money. He’s got so much time to add to his bank account, that I think he might have been wiser to have skipped this.
“We will never know if that was a factor in his loss to Novak [Djokovic], Novak played a great match against him last year (Australian Open 2025), but Carlos was also a bit subpar.
“So, it will be fascinating to see if he can finally show his best in Australia. I’m convinced that Sinner will show his best at Roland Garros, and maybe they both achieve that Career Slam this year, that would be great for the game.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s previous results at the Australian Open
The Australian Open is by far Alcaraz’s worst Grand Slam tournament, as it is the only one where he is yet to win the title.
Why do you think Carlos Alcaraz has struggled at the Australian Open in the past?
2021 Australian Open – 1R
2022 Australian Open – 3R
2024 Australian Open – QF
2025 Australian Open – QF
Alcaraz has never been able to surpass the quarterfinals in his four previous appearances, including this year where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
Three of his four defeats in Melbourne have come against a Grand Slam champion or finalist, with the other being Mikael Ymer, who beat Alcaraz on his Australian Open debut.
| Year | Carlos Alcaraz’s Result at the Australian Open |
| 2021 | Lost in the second round to Mikael Ymer |
| 2022 | Lost in the third round to Matteo Berrettini |
| 2024 | Lost in the quarterfinal to Alexander Zverev |
| 2025 | Lost in the quarterfinal to Novak Djokovic |
Alcaraz will hope to improve his record at the 2026 Australian Open and prove the aforementioned Flink wrong, as he looks to become the youngest man ever to complete the Career Slam.
The six-time Grand Slam champion will not play any official ATP tournaments prior to the Australian Open, but he is scheduled to take on Jannik Sinner in another exhibition in South Korea on January 10.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
