World number one Carlos Alcaraz recently played a round of golf with tennis icon Roger Federer, and the 22-year-old Spaniard found the experience to be as effortless and stylish as Federer’s legendary on-court game.
“Everything he does is done with style,” Alcaraz commented, noting that Federer’s golf swing is “as beautiful as tennis.”
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Federer continues his pursuit of a historic milestone at the Australian Open after Alcaraz’s emphatic second-round victory, a comfortable match that saw Federer emerge victorious despite fewer matches.
Alcaraz beat Yannick Hanfmann 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday, a major step in his ambition to become the youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam.
The achievement comes as Federer took seven years to win all four major tennis trophies after winning his first Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz praises Federer’s golf skills after Australian Open win (Getty Images)
Alcaraz already has six Grand Slam titles – two each at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open – and now only needs the Australian Open title to complete his personal Grand Slam.
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However, he has never advanced beyond the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, making this year’s tournament particularly important for his storied career.
His journey was further complicated by a bitter rivalry with Jannik Sinner, known as “Sincaraz” who had won the last two Australian titles.
The two young stars have split the last eight majors, setting the stage for a potential future clash in the tournament.
To gain an advantage, Alcaraz has worked hard to perfect every aspect of his game, especially his serve, which now bears a striking resemblance to Novak Djokovic.
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The 10-time Melbourne Park champion and 24-time major champion has reportedly taken note of Alcaraz’s developing skills.
With Djokovic and second-ranked Sinner both on the other side of the draw, Alcaraz has the strategic advantage of being able to observe his arch-rivals on an off day at Melbourne Park without other sporting distractions.
Alcaraz moved one step closer to a career major on Wednesday (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Alcaraz’s focus now shifts to world No. 32 Corentin Moutet in the third round.
After U.S. qualifier Michael Cheng was forced to withdraw from his second-round match on Court 6 with an adductor strain, Mutai advanced 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 2-0.
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Zheng, a promising college tennis star out of Columbia University, blamed his injury on the transition to best-of-five sets and the rigorous demands of qualifying for his first Grand Slam main draw, a challenge that ultimately proved too much for his body.
Despite his premature exit, the 21-year-old Zheng, a two-time NCAA individual champion in 2024 and 2025, expressed considerable pride in his Australian Open debut, which included a hard-fought five-set victory over Sebastian Korda to secure his first tour-level victory.
“I made it to the first round for the first time and saved a match point in a tough match,” Zheng Zheng recalled.
“It’s great to win the first round against the top 20 players.” His one regret is missing out on the opportunity against Alcaraz, an opportunity he has been considering since the draw was announced.
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“When the draw came out, you know, you saw Alcaraz. You were in that area,” he said.
“Of course it’s always in the back of your mind that you get the chance to play against the No. 1 player in the world and that doesn’t happen very often. He’s going to be a legend in the sport. It’s definitely unfortunate but hopefully I’ll get that opportunity in the future.”
