Carlos Alcaraz completed a career Grand Slam of singles victories with his Australian Open title, but there was some solace for the man he defeated, 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — In a moment of exhaustion and elation, Novak Djokovic recognized Margaret Court in the crowd and thanked her for staying up so late to watch him get within a single victory of becoming the most decorated tennis player of all time.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic's wife, Jelena Djokovis, shares a heartfelt note before he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the 2026 Australian Open final. The post Novak Djokovic’s Wife Jelena Sends Emotional Message at Australian Open appeared first on Heavy Sports.

Novak Djokovic was nowhere to be seen around Melbourne Park after booking his place in the Australian Open final. Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner for the first time in over two years, securing his first Grand Slam final appearance since Wimbledon 2024.

As only true champions do, Novak Djokovic assessed a tournament where he got within two sets of achieving a record 25th Grand Slam title as something to work on.

ATP World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets during the men's singles final of the 2026 Australian Open: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Djokovic was gracious in defeat, even philosophical during his on-court speech. The 38-year-old alluded to his uncertain future in the sport, which immediately set off alarms among tennis fans.

Novak Djokovic said he had always believed he could still play at the top level of tennis and rounded on those who had tried to usher him into retirement after beating Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Friday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has added layers to his legacy even in missing out on the 25th title he craved.