Alcaraz and Federer get into the swing of things at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s golf outing with tennis legend Roger Federer ahead of the Australian Open revealed a humbling experience for the world’s top-ranked player. Despite having played for five years compared to Federer’s two, Alcaraz admitted with a laugh that the Swiss icon defeated him on the course.

“Everything he does, he does in style,” Alcaraz said of Federer’s golf swing, describing it as “as beautiful as the tennis.” The 22-year-old Spaniard shared these details during an on-court television interview following his commanding 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in the second round at Melbourne Park.

The win marks another step in Alcaraz’s quest to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam in men’s singles. Having already secured six major titles—two each at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open—Alcaraz now only needs the Australian Open trophy to complete his personal collection.

This achievement would be particularly notable as Federer, who was visiting the Australian Open with his family on what could be described as a belated farewell tour, had to wait seven years after his first major title before completing his own career Grand Slam. Federer ultimately finished his illustrious career with 20 major championships.

Alcaraz has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, a venue where his primary rival Jannik Sinner has claimed victory in the last two tournaments. The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, often dubbed “Sincaraz,” has seen the pair evenly split the last eight major titles between them, establishing a new generation of tennis excellence.

In his pursuit of continued improvement, Alcaraz has been refining various aspects of his game, with particular attention to his serve. Tennis observers have noted similarities between his service motion and that of Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion who has dominated at Melbourne Park with ten Australian Open titles. Even Djokovic himself has acknowledged the resemblance.

With Djokovic and second-ranked Sinner positioned on the opposite side of the draw, Alcaraz has the opportunity to study their matches during his days off as the tournament progresses.

Alcaraz’s third-round opponent will be 32nd-seeded Corentin Moutet, who advanced when American qualifier Michael Zheng retired from their second-round match due to an adductor strain. Moutet was leading 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 2-0 when the injury forced Zheng to withdraw.

For Zheng, a standout tennis player from Columbia University who won NCAA individual championships in both 2024 and 2025, the physical demands of best-of-five set matches and the rigors of Grand Slam competition proved challenging in his debut appearance.

Despite the disappointment of his tournament ending prematurely, Zheng expressed pride in his accomplishments at the Australian Open. “Qualifying for the first time, making the first round, and in a tough match, too, saving a match point,” Zheng reflected. “Winning the first round was amazing against a former top-20 player.”

Zheng admitted regret at missing the opportunity to face Alcaraz, acknowledging that the prospect of playing the world’s top-ranked player was “in the back of the mind” after seeing the tournament draw.

“Of course, it’s always in the back of the mind, you get the chance to play the No. 1 player in the world, it doesn’t happen very often. He’s someone who is going to go down as a legend in the sport,” Zheng said. “Definitely unfortunate, but hopefully I’ll get the opportunity in the future.”

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will remain on Alcaraz as he continues his pursuit of that elusive Australian Open title and the completion of his career Grand Slam at a remarkably young age.