Carlos Alcaraz is bidding to make history by becoming the youngest tennis player to accomplish the Career Grand Slam. The 22-year-old started the 2025 season at the Australian Open to face Alexander Shevchenko, and the Spaniard won in straight sets 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 55 minutes.
Alcaraz started brightly on Margaret Court Arena, and although there was a period of wobble in the second set, he proceeded to take a grip on the match. His sheer aggressive display, noted by the 37 winners and six aces, took him into Melbourne’s second round for the fourth successive year.
Carlos Alcaraz was all guns blazing at the opening set drawing first blood with relentless baseline punches and clean hitting. This allowed Alexander Shevchenko to say only unable to get into any real rhythm, as he continued only to dictate play. Shevchenko retained the dominance and raced to a 3-1 lead in the second set but then lost his bearings for the next 20 minutes.
At the same time, Shevchenko did not miss the opportunity to make a break in her partner’s service and get a score of 5-3. But, the Spaniard did not lose heart in the early stage of the game. Swinging the focus on his performance and boosting his rate of play, the Spanish tennis star overturned the set and came through a four-game streak to win the second set. This resilience revealed his growing maturity and responses to pressure.
The third set quickly turned into vintage Carlos Alcaraz as he broke Alexander Shevchenko’s serve using angles and coverage that his opponent could not come close to matching. His speed was remarkable as the Spaniard continued to put Shevchenko on the back foot throughout the match. According to the final figures, the 21-year-old dominated in the match, tallying 102 points against Shevchenko’s 68.
This win was another feather in Alcaraz’s hat when pursuing a fifth career Grand Slam title. He was a champion in the US Open (2022), Wimbledon (2023, 2024), and French Open (2024), and his major trophy list only lacks a trophy from the Australian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz will be up against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round. The Spaniard has tough tests before clinching the title, such as Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals and Alexander Zverev in the semis. While the four-time Grand Slam champion has never made it past the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, he begins the tournament with confidence and form.
Alcaraz completed his 2024 season, which resulted in the triumph in two Grand Slam tournaments and a Masters 1000 title. However, lack of consistency resulted in him finishing two spots behind Jannik Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Australian Open venture has begun and is hopefully on course to make history. The journey towards the career Grand Slam is not easy because of the stiff competition around him, but the youngster has not lost his focus, and talent will always prevail. Everyone will be looking at Alcaraz during the tournament to see if he will write history. For more fearless sports coverage, visit Stadium Rant.
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