World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is chasing a career Grand Slam, with the Australian Open the lone major missing from his resume, and he already knows how he would commemorate the milestone.
The reigning top-ranked player revealed during the tournament that he has a tattoo in mind if he wins the 2026 Australian Open: a kangaroo. The 22-year-old Spanish star shared the plan in a video posted by the official Australian Open TikTok account during the Grand Slam, which currently runs from January 12 to February 1.
“Kangaroo,” Alcaraz said when asked what tattoo he would get if he lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
He added that he has not yet decided on the placement. Alcaraz gestured to two spots on his legs and said, “I have a spot here and here, so I would think about it. I’m a righty, so maybe the right one… next to the Wimbledon one,” referring to the strawberry tattoo he got on his ankle after winning Wimbledon in 2023.
The planned ink would continue a tradition Alcaraz began after winning the 2022 US Open at age 19. That victory made him the youngest men’s player, and the first teenager in the Open Era, to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings. To mark the milestone, Alcaraz tattooed the date “11.09.22.” above his left tricep.
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Alcaraz later explained that he initially limited his tattoos to first-time Grand Slam victories. Speaking to Tennis Channel after defeating Novak Djokovic to win his second consecutive Wimbledon title in 2024, he said the rule was meant to reassure his parents.
“I told my parents, just to calm them, that it’s just the first one in every major!” Alcaraz said. “But I think this is a really big moment. I think I’m going to put the date of this one next to last year. I have to discuss it with them!”
The Final Piece: Australian Open Could Crown Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam Quest
The Australian Open remains the only major title Carlos Alcaraz has yet to claim and the only Grand Slam where he has not reached a final.
His Grand Slam record includes Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024, French Open victories in 2024 and 2025, and US Open wins in 2022 and 2025. After capturing his first French Open in Paris, he commemorated the victory with an Eiffel Tower tattoo, marking the date of his five-set triumph over Alexander Zverev.
Following his second US Open title, he expanded his tattoo collection with images of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, bending his original “first-win-only” rule.
If Alcaraz triumphs in Melbourne, he would become the ninth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. He would also become the youngest player to achieve the feat, surpassing Rafael Nadal’s record by nearly two years.
“Completing the career Grand Slam is something amazing to do. To be the youngest (to have) done it before is even better,” Alcaraz said, according to ESPN. “I’m just happy with the way I see myself improving every match, every practice. I know that I’m going to keep going forward.”
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Alcaraz entered the second week of the tournament as one of the frontrunners. He is set to face Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Tuesday, Jan. 27, with the men’s final scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 1.
For Alcaraz, a victory would represent more than just a trophy. It would also add another permanent milestone to a career already defined by historic achievements at a young age.
