'A big challenge' - Can Carlos Alcaraz complete the calendar Grand Slam of all four majors in a single year?
Carlos Alcaraz targets a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors in a single year and Sky Sports' Jonathan Overend says he can become the GOAT; Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Tuesday 3 February 2026 08:16, UK
"It's going to be a big challenge" - After winning his maiden Australian Open world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz is now targeting the calendar Grand Slam of all four majors in a single year? Sky Sports' Jonathan Overend believes he can become the GOAT!
One down, three to go! At 22 years and 272 days old, Alcaraz became the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam of all four major titles, breaking a record set by American Don Budge in 1938.
The Spaniard, who possesses a rare combination of incredible flair and variety, coupled with a ruthless desire to win, cited winning all the Masters series titles - he already has six of the nine - and the ATP Finals, as well as the Davis Cup with Spain, as targets, while he was asked whether he could achieve the calendar Grand Slam of all four majors in a single year.
- What tennis is live on Sky Sports 🎾📺
- Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more 📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
That has not been completed by a man since Rod Laver in 1969, while German legend Steffi Graf was the last player to achieve it back in 1988. She also went on to win the elusive Golden Slam by winning an Olympic Gold medal in the same year.
Alcaraz responded: "It's going to be a big challenge. Those are big words, to be honest. I just want it to be one at a time.
"Right now, the next one is the French Open. I have great memories in that tournament. I feel really special every time that I go there. So I don't want to put myself in a really pressure position to have to do it, but it's going to be great."
Maureen Conolly and Margaret Court are the other players to complete a calendar Grand Slam but Court had also won every single title possible - single's, women's doubles and mixed doubles - labelled as the 'boxed set' of Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic just missed out on the calendar Slam in 2021 after winning his 10th Australian Open title, the French Open and Wimbledon, but his hopes of completing the remarkable feat were ended in the US Open final by Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz is 'way ahead of history'
Sky Sports' commentator Jonathan Overend believes the "historical context" of Alcaraz's achievement is significant when analysing it against other notable landmarks in the sport.
He said: "In the aftermath of Alcaraz's victory, completing a career Grand Slam and seventh major, historical context is everything because it really puts into perspective the magnitude of the achievement.
"He becomes only the ninth man to win the career Grand Slam and we're talking the history of the sport. This is no Open Era record or Premier League record like we talk about football. This is the history, and only nine men! You have to let that sink in...
"Add into that conversation that three of the four Grand Slams used to be played on the same surface. The Australian Open and US Open both used to be on grass, so what an incredible achievement it is for all those players - Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic... now Alcaraz to win all four on the different surfaces.
"And for Alcaraz - he becomes the youngest. The youngest to complete the set at 22, but also the youngest to get to seven Grand Slam titles.
"Bjorn Borg turned 23 when he won his seventh, so already we can tell that Alcaraz is way ahead of the curve in terms of winning these big titles. Way ahead of history.
"Now we consider the significance of getting to seven this quickly and therefore the potential of going so much more higher. I always think back to the day when Peter Sampras won Wimbledon in 2000 and I was lucky enough to be on Centre Court when he won his 13th Grand Slam title.
"The significance of that over 25 years ago was that it took him beyond Roy Emerson's record of 12. A record that people thought would never be beaten and that record stood for more than 30 years. Sampras goes ahead at Wimbledon and then wins the US Open in his final Grand Slam tournament in 2002 - taking him to 14."
Would Sampras' 14 Slams ever be beaten?
Overend goes back to the significance of Sampras' 14 Grand Slam titles, which he won by defeating old foe Agassi in the US Open final, and proved to be his last professional match.
"I started covering tennis in 2003 and I remember at the time how significant this number of 14 was and the feeling that it would never be beaten," said Overend.
"That year was significant because it was the year when Roger Federer won his first Wimbledon. The next year Sampras hits that mark of 14 and of course Federer goes beyond that mark, and then Rafael Nadal goes beyond that mark with the Spaniard winning 14 at the French Open.
"And then Novak Djokovic goes beyond that mark and I always say the achievement of Djokovic is best summarised by the fact that he has won more Grand Slams than any other man during an entire career where his two main rivals were the two previously regarded greatest players of all time.
"Suddenly that whole conversation about Emerson's 32-year record and Sampras' achievement in beating it just seems average in an historical context."
Can Alcaraz become the GOAT?
Alcaraz is on track to not only smash Sampras' record but the world No 1 is on course to go beyond 'The Big Three' with Djokovic's mark of 24 Grand Slams a real possibility with so many years ahead of him.
"Could Alcaraz get to those Federer, Nadal and Djokovic numbers? Absolutely, he can!" declared Overend.
"It's not out the realms of possibility that he could even go beyond Djokovic because now he's conquered all four Grand Slams and I have no doubt that he will end up winning multiple Slams at all four majors, but the speed of the achievement is what is so staggering.
"He might even win all four this year! He will very rapidly get into double figures and he'll be beyond Emerson's record by the age of 25. It would not be a surprise if Alcaraz even goes beyond Djokovic and becoming the most prolific Grand Slam winner of all time.
"But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There's a long way to go in a young career. Anything can happen! He needs to keep himself fit and healthy. And of course there's Jannik Sinner and other emerging rivals who will have a say about how many Alcaraz ends up winning but the chart of trajectory is suggesting that Alcaraz could go on to become the greatest of all time."
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
