Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz LIVE Score, Australian Open Final 2026: Alcaraz beats Djokovic in four sets to clinch first Aus Open and complete Career Slam

A hint from Novak? "God knows what happens tomorrow or in six months or 12 months. But it has been a great ride"

Second serve... and serve and volley from Djokovic. That's a choice! And he nails it, with a superb volley.

The match ticks past the three-hour mark... and Djokovic hits a WILDDDD FOREHAND that goes way wide. 15-30.

Alcaraz two points away.

Djokovic hits the net after a deep forehand from Carlos!

TWO CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS.

That super flexible Djokovic body in full stretch from flank to flank, but Alcaraz wins the point for 40-15 and seems set for a comfortable hold... it is indeed so, another winner from Alcaraz for a clutch service hold. He is forcing Djokovic to serve to stay in the match again.

This match deserves a tiebreak in all honesty.

Djokovic serving to stay in the match... to stay in the final... to stay with a chance to keep his dream of 25 alive.

Here we go. Alcaraz has a window of opportunity. 0-30 on Djokovic's serve. IS this the moment?

Djokovic makes it 15-30 with another one of his bullet forehand winners.

Out comes another MASSIVE wide serve to make it 30-30. Goodness, Djokovic. That is elite serving again.

Then another serve down the T, another massive pressure point won. 40-30.

A cry of frustration as he hits a forehand long next point for deuce. Alcaraz is still in this game.

But the great man hold his serve once more under pressure.

Seems like another comfortable service hold for Djokovic at 40-0. Alcaraz's accuracy on groundstrokes has just tapered off a little bit. He sends the forehand WAYYYY long and Djokovic makes it 3-3.

Alcaraz must be careful here... this is surely not over yet!

That's a GODSEND for Djokovic! A service hold at love, with another epic rally thrown into the mixer.

Djokovic moving with purpose here.. he needs one momentum-shifting game!

As it so often happens after a marathon game to hold serve, the other player runs through the next one with relative ease. Alcaraz holds at 15 and Djokovic wouldn 't mind the break in play as they sit down.

AN EPIC GAME!

OH WOW! Those two points at the start of the 2nd game on Djokovic's serve might just be the sign of things to come. Alcaraz plays two stunning defensive points to go up 30-0, returning balls he has no business getting to. Djokovic's body language starting to drop.

A backhand sails long from Djokovic to hand two break points to Alcaraz. One saved with a well-hit backhand this time from the Serb. Another one saved with a beautiful serve down the T.

Alcaraz has a third break point soon after.... and Djokovic -- who often struggles with the overhead smashes (called Djokosmash) –- has a wry smile after putting a second one away. Deuce again. Even Rafa has a knowing smile.

Another signature drop shot from Alcaraz gives him another break point, but Djokovic hanging in there with an ace out wide to take it to third deuce, 7 mins and counting this game.

Djokovic has the chance to hold serve but goes to deuce No 4 after a deep return from Alcaraz.

Alcaraz brings the heat to the next rally and has a 5th break point with so many deep groundstrokes. But makes a forehand error for deuce No 5. 9 mins and counting, this game!

Alcaraz has a 6th break point after a beautiful return to serve to a wide one from Djokovic. And Djokovic saves it AGAIN, wow. Serve wide, forehand winner on the approach.

Another winner at the net after serving and volleying gives Djokovic a chance to hold this... crowd chants NOLE, NOLE. 11 mins and counting.

And Djokovic holds as Rod Laver Arena comes alive! WHAT A FIGHTER. He smiles, nods in acknowledgment.

Third set key serving numbers, despite not serving all that well, Alcaraz took control of the groundstrokes to prevail.

Oh dear. Djokovic is serving to stay in this set... and starts off with a tired-looking double fault. And the forehand deserts him again, hitting the net going for another inside out crosscourter. 0-30. Drop shot goes wrong and 0-40. Alcaraz has a big smile, three set points.

Djokovic does superbly to save two set points... 30-40. (What a fighter!) Nails an ace out wide to take the game to deuce. The ball kissing the corner of the lines perfectly.

Djokovic hits another superb deep forehand that we saw a lot against Sinner and in the first set, has the chance to close this game out on his serve. But ends up missing a forehand down the line for Deuce No 3.

Alcaraz takes it to deuce No 4 with a deep backhand down the line as we hit the two-hour mark in this final.

Alcaraz has another set point after Djokovic misses a forehand.

The world No 1 eventually TAKES THE THIRD SET as Djokovic makes a backhand error.

ANOTHER SENSATIONAL RALLY! Carlitos, you genius. Djokovic, you warrior. In the end it is the world No 1 who receives the thumbs up from Djokovic after hitting another sensational block winner with his forehand. 15-15 in this game. But Djokovic is the legend for a reason, responds with three quick points on big serves to hold.

Djokovic seemed to put in a lot of energy in that last return game and it is showing here... he is in trouble on his serve, two break polints for the Spaniard at 15-40 and Djokovic's running forehand doesn't deliver this time. The World No 1 has made his move in this potentially decisive third set.

Djokovic has pulled off miracles from worse positions in his career but this feels like one mountain too high at the moment... but let's see.

Meanwhile, PV Sindhu is glued to her TV too.

APPLAUSE FROM DJOKOVIC! A patient rally from both players at the baseline, Djokovic comes up to the net after hitting a deep ball to Alcaraz's backhand... and the world No 1 hits the most crisp backhanded crosscourt pass winner. Djokovic applauds his opponent. A nice overhead from Alcaraz makes it 40-0, and a wild forehand shank from Djokovic makes it an easy hold for Alcaraz.

Interesting. Djokovic has gone into the locker room for a quick change after the second set. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has stayed out... and has noticed that the roof is partially closed now. As in, they are very close to be fully closed. Apparently there is rain in the outskirts so the organisers are ready for the eventuality. Alcaraz doesnt seem to be too pleased about it.

Anyway, Djokovic is out now and will serve to start the third. This is probably the match-defining set.

THAT IS AN ALCARAZ SPECIAL! A sensational return of serve to the Djokovic serve out wide, then he scrambles to his left and sends a ripping backhand winn er down the line on the stretch. Another look at a break of serve at 15-30... and it is soon 15-40. A double break would all but end this set.

Djokovic was sensational against Sinner when serving to save break points. He saves one with a first serve out wide but cannot save the second one as a serve down the T is returned well and Djokovic nets his forehand. The Serb's level has dipped considerably here.

A relatively comfortable service hold this time around for Djokovic at 15. A look at the winners stat as of now...

A HUGE SLICE OF LUCK FOR ALCARAZ! A forehand hits flush on the top of the net cord, the ball loops high into the air, and drops dead on the other side of the net. Alcaraz puts both his arms up in the air in sincere apology. Djokovic has a frustrated look on his face... how crucial is that for 15-30? Oh dear, and a forehand error from Djokovic next rally, and it is suddenly 15-40. Is this a turning point?

IT COULD WELL BE A TURNING POINT! Two errors from Djokovic after that massive slice of luck for Alcaraz. A ripping forehand return from Alcaraz is met with a backhand volley from Djokovic that goes wide and the world No 1 has the break of serve in 2nd set.

What can Alcaraz do here? The good thing for the Spaniard is that he'd know deep down he is not playing anywhere near his best so he he has a few gears to go through.

A 0-30 look for Alcaraz at the start of the 2nd set on Djokovic's serve... can he sneak in an early break? He sends a backhand crosscourt long for 30-30 though. And another serve out wide sees Alcaraz send a return long... and he is muttering to his box again. He's not a happy camper.

A nice crosscourt backhand by Alcaraz, with some zing on it, draws the error and makes it 40-40 in this tight opening game. Djokovic has advantage with another terrific serve out wide.

Oh, a taste of his own medicine from Djokovic to Alcaraz with a SENSATIONAL drop shot. The Serb holds for 1-0.

At 15-30, frustration for Alcaraz, who has some words with his box... the depth of Djokovic's groundstroks is hurting the Spaniard big time.

WOW! ANOTHER BULLET FOREHAND WINNER FROM DJOKOVIC! This time he goes crosscourt and he has two set points.

He needs only one! Two breaks of serve and Djokovic takes the lead 6-2.

A fine rally where it looked like Alcaraz was starting to find his groundstroke groove... but Djokovic keeps returning with interest and draws the error from the Spaniard. And Djokovic goes to 40-0 with a lovely forehand crosscourt drop from the net. A bullet first serve down the T (AGAIN) keeps him ahead at 5-2.

A backhand winner from Djokovic and a backhand error from Alcaraz as the Serb looks set for a comfortable hold.

And he seals it off with another stunning serve down the T... one that Sinner had such a hard time dealing with in the semifinal. Djokovic consolidates the break of serve with ridiculous ease.

IMPECCABLE START BY THE SERB.

After a hold at 15, a love-hold for Djokovic in his 2nd service game.

If he didn't already , Alcaraz would have known by now he is going to have to work extremely hard to break Djokovic today.

ROCKET ROD LAVER ON X: "Good luck to @DjokerNole and @carlosalcaraz in tonight’s Australian Open men’s final. What Novak has achieved in tennis is beyond belief. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s impossible to pick a winner. Both will fight with everything they have. I’ll be cheering on from afar. Take it away, champions."

(Mr Laver is usually in the front seat for these big matches, but not today it seems)

The Serbian superstar will get things underway after Alcaraz chose to receive.

Djokovic's service was SENSATIONAL at key points against Sinner, he'd have serve as well today if not better.

And keep an eye on Alcaraz's movement.

Rafael Nadal in the house! The Spaniard is watching on from the stands at Rod Laver Arena. You'd imagine his heart would be beating for the Spaniard for tonight.

Carlos Alcaraz faces a plethora of challenges -- Novak Djokovic being motivated to reach history, his serve that denied Jannik Sinner breaks in the fifth set, and some pulsating forehand howitzers on the lines that the Serb is capable of. But the biggest block Alcaraz needs to overcome is of playing a final so soon after his wrenching semis against Zverev. For that he has sought inspiration from Nadal's 2012 AO final, hoping yo reverse the result though. Speaking in the Spanish portion of his press conference post semis, Alcaraz recalled how Nadal will inadvertently be helping him in this upcoming Australian Open final, according to Tennis.com. He first explained how he had gotten over the semis hurdle. "Well, the truth is that it was an incredible match," Tennis.com translated from Spanish. “I think in that fifth set, when I was feeling a little bit better physically, the first game came, and I think that was an impressive game. I think that lasted 34 games, playing at a really high level. But honestly, I didn’t feel like I was going to retire at any point. I always thought I was going to come back, but worse things have happened; I’ve come back from worse things," the 22-year-old had said on Friday.

OPTA STAT: Carlos Alcaraz (22 years 258 days) is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the Men’s Singles Final at all four Grand Slams.

What is the most significant record Djokovic can set in Melbourne on Sunday?
If Djokovic beats the Spaniard, who is almost 16 years younger to him, he will win his 25th Grand Slam singles title, breaking the record for anyone (man or woman) currently held jointly by Australian Margaret Court.

What is Djokovic’s legacy at the Australian Open?
The Serb is going for his 11th crown at the year’s first Major, and is the only man other than Nadal to win a particular Grand Slam title double-digit times (Nadal won the French Open 14 times).