‘Job finished’: Carlos Alcaraz’s camera message sums up ‘legendary’ career grand slam

Carlos Alcaraz summed up his “legendary” achievement of winning all four grand slam titles to complete the career grand slam by writing “Job finished. 4/4 complete” on the court-side camera.

The 22-year-old become the youngest man to complete the career grand slam after beating Novak Djokovic in four sets to win his first Australian Open title.

Alcaraz is also the youngest man to win seven grand slam singles titles after adding his first Australian Open to two titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Before this year, the world No 1 had never made it past the quarter-finals in Melbourne but completed the set in record time as he denied Djokovic his own slice of history.

And Alcaraz said he was going to make sure he appreciate the size of his achievement. “In tennis, sometimes you don't stop yourself and think about what you're doing,” he said.

“What I've learned this year is it’s about appreciating and enjoying every single second of the moment you're living. Not only lifting the trophies, but playing tournaments, playing tennis, getting victories, the losses.

“Whatever it is, just enjoy and appreciate the life you're living. Right now I'm just trying to have a time to realise what I've been doing.

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“I know I'm doing history with some trophies, some tournaments, the achievements that I've been getting. For me it's an honour to put my name on the history books.”

The 22-year-old came into the new season having split from his long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and he did not hide away from the fact that the Australian Open and completing the career grand slam was the biggest goal of his year.

“Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting the trophy. Couldn't happen. Couldn't go farther than quarter-finals,” he said.

”Coming this year I was hungry for more, ambitious for getting the trophy, and being strong mentally enough. I was not hearing anything or any words from [outside].

“Then just playing good tennis in this tournament means a lot, means the world to me, and it is a dream come true for me.”

Djokovic, who was denied a 25th grand slam title by his younger opponent and suffered his first loss in an Australian Open final after 10 victories, praised Alcaraz for all he has achieved so soon into his career.

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“The results are a testament to his already stellar career,” Djokovic said. “I can't think of any other superlatives about him. He deserves every bit of the praise that he gets from his peers, but also the whole tennis community.

”He's a very nice young man. Good values, nice family. Of course, already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in the history books of tennis, I mean, with only 22 years of age. It's super impressive, no doubt about it.”

Djokovic also praised Alcaraz in his runner-up speech: “What you've been doing, I think the best word to describe it is historic, legendary, so congratulations and I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your career.

“I mean, you're so young, you have a lot of time, like myself! So I'm sure we'll be seeing each other many more times in the next 10 years!”