Carlos Alcaraz didn’t need long to reflect on what his Australian Open victory meant, because the memory is already destined to become permanent.
After finally lifting the trophy in Melbourne, Carlos Alcaraz confirmed that his first title at the season’s opening major will be marked the same way as his previous breakthroughs: with a tattoo that captures the moment.
Alcaraz has made a habit of commemorating Grand Slam firsts with ink, and the Australian Open was the final piece missing from his collection. Speaking after the final, the 22 year old revealed that he already knows the theme.
“It’s going to be a kangaroo for sure,” Alcaraz said. “A small one. I don’t know exactly where yet, but it will be on my leg. I just have to choose the right spot.”
The design will sit alongside symbols from his earlier major victories, each one telling a chapter of his rapid rise.
Alcaraz‘s first tattoo came after winning the US Open in 2022, when he inked the date of the final on his arm after becoming the youngest world number one in ATP history.
Wimbledon brought a strawberry, a nod to the tournament’s traditions, while Roland Garros earned an Eiffel Tower.
A tradition built around firsts
Alcaraz has previously explained that the tattoos are not about excess, but restraint. He initially told his parents he would only get inked after winning a major for the first time, a rule designed to keep the moments special and, as he admitted, to keep his family calm.
“I told my parents it would only be the first one at each Slam,” Alcaraz said in an earlier interview. “That way they knew it wouldn’t get out of control.”
That approach makes the Australian Open tattoo especially significant. By winning in Melbourne, Alcaraz completed the career Grand Slam before his 23rd birthday, joining one of the most exclusive clubs in tennis history.
The kangaroo will symbolise not just a title, but the final step in that journey. The work will once again be handled by his long time tattoo artist, Joaquin Ganga, who has inked each of Alcaraz‘s Slam designs.
Alcaraz joked that messages were already waiting on his phone as soon as the tournament ended, pushing him to pick a date.
No rush to celebrate, despite the milestone
Despite the magnitude of the achievement, Alcaraz said celebrations would be postponed. Known for enjoying Ibiza breaks and lively nights after major wins, he admitted that the modern tennis schedule leaves little room to pause.
“The bad part of tennis is that you finish one tournament and your mind is already on the next one,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t even realise what you’ve just done.”
Instead, Alcaraz plans to save the celebrations for when he returns home to Spain, where he can enjoy the moment away from the demands of the tour. “With my people at home, it will be even better,” he said.
For Alcaraz, the tattoo is not about showing off success, but preserving perspective. Each symbol is a reminder of how far he has come and how much each milestone meant at the time.
When the kangaroo finally joins the rest, it will quietly complete a story that began in New York and finished on the hard courts of Melbourne.
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