How Carlos Alcaraz can break a 47-year-old Bjorn Borg record with an Australian Open triumph
Carlos Alcaraz has already made plenty of history during his legendary tennis career, and is in line to potentially hit new milestones at the Australian Open within the next month.
Having already secured multiple triumphs at the other three major tournaments, triumph in Melbourne this year would see Alcaraz become just the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam, and break Rafael Nadal’s record from the 2010 US Open as the youngest man to do so.
However, should Alcaraz lift the Australian Open title on February 1 this year, he would also break an even older record — one set by tennis icon Bjorn Borg back in 1979.
What is Borg’s record?
Victory for Alcaraz in Melbourne would be the Spaniard’s seventh Grand Slam singles title — a haul that only 10 men in the Open Era can so far match.
Borg was the first of those 10 men to win seven Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era, lifting the seventh of his 11 major titles at the 1979 French Open, dispatching Victor Pecci in the final.
The final was held on June 10 that summer, just four days after Borg had celebrated his 23rd birthday.
In the almost 47 years that have followed, no man has ever won seven Grand Slam titles at a younger age than the Swede, who was 23 years and four days when he defeated Pecci at Roland Garros.
The closest to breaking that record was Nadal, who was 24 years and three days old when he lifted the seventh of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the 2010 French Open.
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Of the remaining eight men to win 7+ major titles in the Open Era, Mats Wilander, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer were all 24 years of age, John McEnroe was 25, Novak Djokovic was 27, Ivan Lendl was 28, and Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi were both 30.
Borg’s record has rarely come close to being threatened since he first set, but Alcaraz now has one chance to break it.
Australian Open or bust
If Alcaraz does not win the Australian Open this year, he will surely have several more chances in the future to complete the Career Grand Slam.
However, after winning his sixth Grand Slam title at the most recent major — the 2025 US Open — he only has one opportunity to break this 47-year-old record.
Alcaraz will be 22 years, eight months, and 27 days on the day of the Australian Open final [February 1] this year and should he triumph, he would break Borg’s milestone.
However, by the end of the next Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, he will be aged 23 years, one month, and two days, slightly older than Borg was back in 1979.
If Alcaraz were to triumph in both Melbourne and Paris this year, he would hold eight Grand Slam titles aged 23 years, one month, and two days; the French Open final is set for Sunday, June 7.
Fascinatingly, in terms of being the youngest man to win eight majors, that would put him just one day behind Borg, who was 23 years, one month, and one day old when he lifted his eighth Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon on July 7, 1979.
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