Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz final prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Australian Open 2026
Djokovic and Alcaraz are to face-off for the 10th time on the ATP Tour.
“I said it was going to be difficult … but not impossible,” were the words of Novak Djokovic after his semi-final win against Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic had lived up to those words by the time he finished his time on the Rod Laver Arena on Friday night with a surreal five-set victory to dethrone two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. The 38-year-old, who advanced with a walkover from Lorenzo Musetti, took out Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a little over four hours.
The Serbian narrowed the head-to-head gap with Sinner to 5-6 as he returns to a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2024. Djokovic snapped a five-match losing streak to Sinner and will rise to World No. 3 on the conclusion of the Australian Open.
He ended talk of yet another ‘Sinacraz’ final and replaced Ken Rosewall as the oldest Australian Open finalist in the Open Era.
At 38 years and 255 days, Djokovic won his 104th match in Melbourne Park. Sinner had won more points than his Serbian rival in their semi-final match but could not penetrate Djokovic’s rock-solid defence to win the points that mattered.
The No. 4 seed saved eighteen break points as he fought back to stifle Sinner’s progress after the Italian took the opening set.
The conclusion of the five-setter witnessed the end of the Italian’s 19-match winning streak at the hard-court major.
Djokovic will now play his 38th Grand Slam final against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday after the Spaniard edged last year’s finalist, Alexander Zverev, in a dramatic five-set encounter.
Alcaraz is now through to his maiden Australian Open final. The World No. 1 overcame the World No. 3 while battling cramps for a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 win. The five-hour, 27-minute semi-final inside the Rod Laver Arena was the longest in tournament history.
He became the youngest player to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams. He also broke Sinner’s record to become the youngest player in the Open Era to reach four consecutive men’s singles finals at the Slams.
The top seed opened up with a two-set-to-love lead but lost the next two in tiebreaks. Alcaraz had to rally from 3-5 down in the decider and clinched a well-deserved victory when Zverev’s attempted backhand volley found the net.
The Spaniard struck 78 winners, including 25 on his forehand side, breaking their head-to-head tie to make it 7-6 in tour-level matches.
Match details
- Tournament: Australian Open 2026
- Round: Semi-finals
- Date: February 1
- Venue: Melbourne, Australia
- Surface: Hard Court
Also Read: Rishabh Pant names his favourite for Australian Open 2026 crown
Preview
Djokovic fulfilled Juan Martin Del Potro’s prediction and will take on Alcaraz in Sunday’s final. The Serbian legend is looking to win a record-extending eleventh Australian Open title on Sunday. The World No. 4 owns a 10-0 record in finals at the venue.
After dropping a set for the first time in the fortnight, it looked as if Alcaraz would lose for the first time when two sets up. The Spaniard dug deep to remain on track for a seventh Grand Slam title and is 60-0 after winning the first two sets.
Djokovic, looking to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era, has a 5-4 lead in his head-to-head over Alcaraz. However, the Spaniard is 2-0 over the Serb in Grand Slam finals, having defeated the World No. 4 at Wimbledon in consecutive editions (2023 and 2024).
Alcaraz, at 22, is 16 years younger than Djokovic and has a 6-1 record in Grand Slam finals. If he wins, he will become just the second Spaniard to claim the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Form
- Novak Djokovic: W-W-W-W-W
- Carlos Alcaraz: W-W-W-W-W
Head-to-head record
- Matches: 9
- Novak Djokovic: 5
- Carlos Alcaraz: 4
Full head-to-head details here
Stats
Novak Djokovic
- Djokovic has a 6-0 win-loss record in the 2026 season
- Djokovic has a 105-10 win-loss record at the Australian Open
- Djokovic has won 84% of matches played on hard courts
Carlos Alcaraz
- Alcaraz has a 6-0 win-loss record in the 2026 season
- Alcaraz has a 17-4 win-loss record at the Australian Open
- Alcaraz has won 77% of matches played on hard courts
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Betting tips and odds
- Moneyline: Djokovic: -526, Alcaraz +400
- Spread: Djokovic -6 (-101), Alcaraz +6 (-120)
- Total Games: Over 35.5 (-122), Under 35.5 (+100)
- First Set Winner: Djokovic -280, Alcaraz +230
Match prediction
After pulling off escape acts in their respective semi-final encounters, six-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz and the undisputed king of Melbourne Park, Djokovic, are set to square off in a blockbuster finale. History is on the line for both men in Sunday’s final.
Djokovic is aiming for a standalone 25th Grand Slam title, while Alcaraz is looking to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz recovered well in the semi-finals against Zverev to make his title round debut in Melbourne. Djokovic won his first three rounds without dropping a set and benefited from walkovers from Jakub Mensik and Lorenzo Musetti in the next two rounds.
A rematch from the quarter-finals last year awaits the duo, with the Serb winning in four sets in 2025. Alcaraz has historically been an underperformer in Melbourne and is past the quarter-final stage for the first time.
As seen against Sinner, Djokovic’s ability to outsmart rivals over five sets is unmatched, even as long rallies and momentum swings from both players are to be expected.
Result: Novak Djokovic to win in four sets.
Where and how to watch live telecast and live streaming of Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz final match at Australian Open 2026?
The men’s singles final will be broadcast on the Sony Network for Indian viewers. Residents of the United States can tune in to the Tennis Channel and ESPN. Fans in the United Kingdom can stream the match on Eurosport.
Full worldwide broadcast details here
When and where will Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz men’s singles final match take place?
The match will be played at the Rod Laver Arena on February 1 (Sunday). It is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm local time and 2:00 pm in India.
What is the head-to-head record between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz?
They have clashed nine times on tour previously and Djokovic edges it slightly with five wins while Alcaraz has only won four.
Has Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz faced each other before at Australian Open?
Yes, their only previous meeting at the Australian Open came last year in the quarter-final round. Djokovic fought back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
What happened in the last meeting between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz?
Their most recent meeting came at the US Open semi-finals in 2025. Alcaraz saw-off the Serbian legend in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2.
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Meet Fazeel—a bibliophile and sci-fi aficionado who devours books and movies alike. His favorite form of exercise? Watching tennis from a perfectly positioned couch. Whether he's lost in a gripping novel or absorbed in a five-hour Grand Slam final, he's all in. Favorite quote: “You cannot be serious” – John McEnroe.