Alcaraz Switches on and Surges Past Hanfmann

Carlos Alcaraz is slowly but surely getting up to speed at the 2026 Australian Open. The 22-year-old was flat early, erratic at times, but ultimately more than punchy enough to move past Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann on a sunny day in Rod Laver Arena, 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2.

Even better for the six-time major champion, who came to Australian with no matches under his belt, Alcaraz got better with each passing set.

The first set turned on a pair of points in the tiebreak, with Hanfmann serving at 4-3. Alcaraz dug down deep and pushed the play, drawing errors from the German to take the lead. On the next point he poked a beautiful backhand down the line that wrong-footed Hanfmann to earn two set points.

A service winner out wide forced another Hanfmann mishit and Alcaraz finally clinched the set, from a break down, in 78 hard-fought minutes, the longest opening set of any major match that Alcaraz has played thus far in his career.

The second set wasn’t quite the same tug-o-war. Sensing an opportunity to expand his lead, Alcaraz moved ahead by a break quickly and never relinquished his advantage.

With Hanfmann suffering from what looked to be an oblique/ abdomen issue, the contest was now Alcaraz’s for the taking.

He scored another break in the third game of the third set and held serve the rest of the way to close out his 13th career Australian Open victory and set a third-round clash with either Corentin Moutet or Michael Zheng.

The Spaniard hit cruise control in the third set, ripping 13 winners to just six for Hanfmann, including six aces. He finished the match with 41 winners, 11 aces and 30 unforced errors, closing the victory in two hours and 44 minutes.

86, and Counting

Alcaraz, who is bidding to become the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam and the youngest to reach his seventh major singles title, is also closing in on another record.

With 86 Grand Slam wins, Alcaraz is now fourth all-time on the list of men’s singles Grand Slam match wins before turning 23.

If he wins the title he will tie Boris Becker at the top of that list. Alcaraz will turn 23 on May 5th, ahead of Roland-Garros.

Most Grand Slam Match Wins Before Age 23

• Becker, 91
• Nadal, 90
• Borg, 88
• Alcaraz, 86