Roger Federer has put a massive exclamation mark on Carlos Alcaraz’s Australian Open mission, and it’s one word: crazy.
The Swiss great believes Alcaraz winning in Melbourne this year to complete the career Grand Slam at just 22 would be nothing short of extraordinary.
“At his young age, to already complete the career Grand Slam would be crazy,” Federer said at Melbourne Park on Thursday. “Let’s see if he can do something crazy this week. For the game, it would be an unbelievable moment.”
Alcaraz, already a six-time Grand Slam champion, has conquered three of the four majors — but Australia remains the missing piece. Despite arriving as world No.1, the Spaniard has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
If he lifts the trophy when
the tournament begins Sunday, Alcaraz would become the youngest man in history to complete the Grand Slam, eclipsing compatriot Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat at 24.
🎙️Roger Federer: “Carlos, when I see him, I feel like there’s more similarities in terms of what we would do, in terms of when we would hit a drop shot, when we would come to the net, how offensive, how passive do we decide to play, because I think we like to play on our terms.… pic.twitter.com/vS1hA7oFWY
— Daily Alcaraz (@alcarazdaily) January 15, 2026
Federer, a six-time Australian Open champion, compared Alcaraz’s Melbourne hurdle to Rory McIlroy’s long, agonising wait to win the Masters — a drought the golfer finally ended last year.
“It’s like Rory going for the Masters,” Federer said. “Those things are tough.”
Alcaraz opens his campaign against Australian wildcard Adam Walton, with history firmly in his sights.
Federer also had glowing praise for 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, tipping him as one to watch.
“What separates him is his power — forehand, backhand, serve, everything,” Federer said. “He’s exciting, has a great aura, and he’s very likeable. The sky’s the limit.”
And the crazier part? There exists a possibility that Fonseca could face off against none other than the defending champion Jannik Sinner later on in the tournament. Talk about being box office.
