A final in which history will be made
Novak Djokovic has not only silenced his critics once again, but also set several more records for eternity at the 2026 Australian Open. For example, his 3-2 victory over Jannik Sinner brings his total number of singles wins at the hard court Grand Slam Down Under to 104, which he could now win for the eleventh time. It would also be his 25th Grand Slam singles title, further extending his own record.
If, on the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic, the tip on the victory of the world number one from Spain would also be historic. Carlitos, who has already won the other three Grand Slam tournaments twice each, would then become the youngest player ever to achieve a career Grand Slam.
What is clear is that both players not only have a demanding tournament marked by heat waves under their belts, but also a semifinal of superlatives. Carlos Alcaraz needed several comebacks against Alexander Zverev before sealing a narrow 3-2 victory after a record-breaking five hours and 26 minutes, even though Sascha could have served out the match shortly before.
And Novak Djokovic also spent a whopping four hours and twelve minutes on court against two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. Once again, we expect an epic battle between two strong-willed athletes, with the Alcaraz vs. Djokovic prediction that at least one set will be decided in a tiebreak offering the best value.
The tips on over 0.5 tiebreaks and over 3.5 sets each yield “only” odds of 1.55, which also shows that these are very likely events. For those looking for higher odds on Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic, we have therefore suggested another very exciting alternative. Namely, the tip that the player who will ultimately win the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup will record a victory after being a set down.
Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic Head-to-head record
Head to head: 3:5
The two players have already crossed paths eight times on the ATP Tour, with Novak Djokovic leading the head-to-head record with five wins. Carlos Alcaraz recorded two of his three victories against Djoker on grass when the two athletes met in the grand final at the Wimbledon Championships in both 2023 and 2024.
In the final of the 2024 Olympic Games on clay, however, the Serbian stalwart prevailed 2-0, and he also defeated Carlitos 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open a year ago (4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and 6-4).
Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic Tip
Purely in terms of physique, the 22-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who was only four years old when Novak Djokovic won his first Australian Open title (2008), has the advantage. However, it should not be forgotten that Djokovic had a complete bye in the tournament and then benefited from his opponent’s injury when he was 0-2 down in sets against Lorenzo Musetti.
This is probably the only reason why the Serb had the necessary reserves to defeat Jannik Sinner 3-2 in the semifinals in a match lasting over four hours and twelve minutes. Although Carlitos also has a high degree of willpower and comeback qualities, this makes it extremely difficult to predict who will win the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
One thing is certain: there will be no gifts in this final. Both athletes will believe they can win until the very last point. If they play at their best, spectators at Melbourne Park are in for an epic final that also has the potential to go the full five sets. Our tip recommendation is that at least one set will be decided in a tiebreak.
