Carlos Alcaraz’s Calendar Grand Slam hopes dismissed by former world No 1
Former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov has dismissed suggestions that Carlos Alcaraz could complete the Calendar Grand Slam following his Australian Open triumph.
Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in four sets to lift his first Australian Open title last Sunday, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old has now won seven Grand Slam singles titles — drawing level in the all-time standings with John McEnroe and Mats Wilander — and looks primed for further Slam success in the near future, with the Spaniard not turning 23 until May.
Having already triumphed at all four Grand Slam tournaments, all eyes are on how many major titles the reigning world No 1 could win during his career.
And, following his historic triumph in Melbourne, some have suggested that Alcaraz could complete the Calendar Grand Slam in 2026.
The biggest obstacle in Alcaraz’s path may well be world No 2 Jannik Sinner, who has been by far and away his closest rival in recent years.
The Spaniard and Sinner have won the last nine Grand Slam men’s singles titles between them, with the pair winning two majors each in 2024 and 2025.
Last season saw Sinner lift the Australian Open title, before Alcaraz defeated the Italian in a legendary five-set final at the French Open.
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However, the Spaniard’s reign at Wimbledon was then ended by Sinner in the men’s final inside Centre Court, before Alcaraz earned revenge in the final of the US Open.
Sinner reached the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2025, and despite his Australian Open semi-final loss, Kafelnikov believes the Italian will deny Alcaraz further history.
Speaking on Hard Court, the former Australian Open and French Open champion claimed that Sinner would not “allow” Alcaraz the chance to complete the Calendar Grand Slam.
“No, he [Alcaraz] won’t win four tournaments,” said Kafelnikov. “Sinner won’t allow it.”
Asked further about where Alcaraz could potentially taste defeat at Grand Slam-level in 2026, the Russian pinpointed the final major of the year as a potential obstacle.
He added: “I think he will win Roland Garros, but not the US Open.”
Who has completed the Calendar Grand Slam?
Completing the Calendar Grand Slam is one of the most difficult tasks in tennis, and is more difficult to complete than achieving the Career Grand Slam.
In the Open Era, only three players have won all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year, with tennis icon Rod Laver the only man to achieve this feat — doing so in 1969.
Meanwhile, Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) are the only women to achieve the feat in the Open Era, with Graf also winning Olympic gold in 1988.
The closest anyone has come to achieving the Calendar Grand Slam in recent years was Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2021 before losing the US Open final.
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