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With each captivating swish of his racquet, Carlos Alcaraz seemingly edges closer to more history.

The Spanish world number one has become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam – lifting all four of the sport’s major trophies – with his maiden Australian Open triumph.

Sunday’s victory over Novak Djokovic ensured the 22-year-old Alcaraz clinched the seventh major title of his career, just six years after making his senior debut.

Alcaraz has won five of the past eight slams and has astonishingly prevailed in all but one of his eight major finals.

He follows all-time greats Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Rod Laver as only the sixth man to achieve the career Grand Slam in the Open era.

The man he replaces as the youngest to achieve that feat is, fittingly, his sporting idol and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal, who did so aged 24 in 2010 and watched his compatriot’s historic win over old foe Djokovic from the stands in Melbourne.

In tennis history, Alcaraz surpassed Don Budge, who had won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open by the age of 22 years and 355 days in 1938.

“Every year that I came to Australia I was thinking about winning but it didn’t happen. This year, I was hungry for more,” Alcaraz said.

In winning his seventh Grand Slam, Alcaraz now has the most major singles titles before the age of 23 than any other man during the Open era.

Only Bjorn Borg had won six slams at a younger age than Alcaraz, but Borg turned 23 on his way to lifting his seventh at Roland Garros in 1979.

By comparison, men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic had won just one major before turning 23.

Alcaraz has already triumphed twice at each of the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, but before this year his best Australian Open result was two quarter-final appearances in 2024 and 2025.

He won his first US Open at the second attempt, achieved a first Wimbledon triumph in his third appearance, claimed a maiden French Open on his fourth visit, and completed his sweep of successes at his fifth Australian Open.

Across the seven major finals he has won, Alcaraz has never faced a player seeded lower than fifth – overcoming Djokovic on three occasions and Jannik Sinner twice, along with victories over Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud.

After winning September’s US Open, Alcaraz stated his desire to begin the year with this historic achievement.

One key priority for Alcaraz was his serve.

Once considered the weakest aspect of his game, it now bears a striking resemblance to Djokovic’s rhythmic motion, from which the Serb produces devastating precision.

Alcaraz has turned his serve into another “important weapon”, as witnessed during last year’s US Open where he won 98 of his 101 service games.

It is a demoralising development for his opponents, who already had his dizzying combination of power, athleticism and inventive variety to contend with.

By adding his 25th tour-level singles title, Alcaraz is behind only Djokovic (101) for the most won by active players.

The next piece of history for Alcaraz will be emulating Laver as only the second man in the Open era to achieve a calendar slam – winning all four majors in the same year.

Asked about the possibility, Alcaraz said: “It is going to be a big challenge.

“I just want one at a time. The next is Roland Garros and I feel really special every time that I go there.

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself to have to do it.”

Sinner, as has been the case throughout each of the past two seasons, would appear to be his biggest barrier.

The Italian will have his chance to complete a career Grand Slam of his own at the French Open, having lost last year’s epic to Alcaraz.

Alcaraz or Sinner have been crowned champion at each of the past nine Grand Slam tournaments since Djokovic won the 2023 US Open.

Despite Alcaraz splitting with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December after seven years together, and Sinner’s loss to Djokovic in a thrilling five-set semi-final in Melbourne, their reign of dominance does not look set to end any time soon.

Praising Alcaraz after the final, Djokovic said: “The results are a testament to his already stellar career. He deserves every bit of the praise that he gets.

“He is already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in the history books of tennis.

Winter Olympics organisers have admitted the new ice hockey arena in Milan will not be finished in time for the first match of the Games – but it is “absolutely certain” all scheduled fixtures will be played there.

BBC Sport visited the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Saturday, 31 January – five days before the venue is due to host its first match – and found a frantic construction site, with building materials and dust inside and outside the stadium.

Christophe Dubi, the International Olympic Committee’s executive director for the Olympic Games, was asked about the state of the arena on Sunday and whether it will be ready on time.

“Absolutely certain, yes”, he said about whether the full slate of fixtures – starting on Thursday, 5 February, when hosts Italy face France in their first game of the women’s competition – will be fulfilled.

The 11,800-capacity stadium is one of two new venues being constructed in Milan before the 2026 Games.

Santagiulia is due to host many of the biggest ice hockey fixtures at the Games, including the men’s and women’s gold medal matches.

But days before the Games, most roads remain closed around the arena while inside construction materials and rubbish litter the floor.

Many areas of the arena, including hospitality boxes as well as food and drink stalls, are unfinished, while there are no seats in the press area.

While core elements like electricity and running water are functioning, lifts and toilets remain covered in plastic wraps and are scruffy in appearance.

“No-one’s experience will be tainted by anything that needs to be painted after the games,” said Dubi. “Anything that is public facing will be top.

“Do we still have works to do? Yes, cleaning absolutely. There are still works ongoing, frantic as you say but it is to make it a great venue.”

Dubi praised the work done on the venue, which has been beset by delays and controversies – including a boycott warning from the National Hockey League (NHL).

The rink in Milan, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is shorter than the minimum requirement in the NHL, leading to suggestions there could be an increase in high-speed collisions. The quality of the ice has also been questioned.

The NHL said it was “pleased” with the test event at the arena in January, although that did not pass without incident. During the event there was a short delay while a small hole in the ice had to be repaired.

Santagiulia is one of two ice hockey venues for the Games, with the Milano Rho Arena staging some group-stage matches.

“Job finished – 4/4 complete.”

That was the message Carlos Alcaraz wrote on a TV camera lens after creating history with his Australian Open final victory over Novak Djokovic on Sunday.

Aged 22 years and 272 days, Alcaraz is the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, and only the ninth male player in history to win the singles title at all four tennis majors.

With fellow Spaniard and 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal watching from the stands on Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz collapsed to the floor in a mixture of tiredness and jubilation as Djokovic’s long forehand on match point sealed a 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 win.

Alcaraz has tattoos to commemorate his previous Grand Slam wins. He said he will try to “choose a good spot” for the planned kangaroo tattoo that will mark his maiden victory in Melbourne.

He went on to say that fulfilling the busy tennis calendar can leave little time to “stop yourself and think about what you’re doing” – but the world number one is determined to make sure this latest success sinks in.

“What I’ve learned this year is about appreciating and enjoying every single second – not only lifting trophies but playing tournaments, playing tennis, getting victories, getting losses,” said Alcaraz.

“Whatever it is, just enjoy and appreciate the life you’re living.

Alcaraz was playing at a Grand Slam for the first time since his surprise split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who he had worked with since his teenage years.

But the change did not appear to affect Alcaraz too much during his run to the title in Melbourne.

He rattled through his first five matches without dropping a set and was two sets up on Germany’s Alexander Zverev in his semi-final when physical issues kicked in.

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said of Alcaraz that it is rare to see “a player who is that complete at such a young age”.

“He can do every shot in the book, he’s competitive and his mental capacity is extraordinary. Physically, he’s incredible and lightning fast,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Australian Open Daily podcast.

“He’s got it all and it shows by winning all four Grand Slams on three different surfaces.

Since Djokovic won the 2023 US Open, Alcaraz has claimed five Grand Slam titles and world number two Jannik Sinner the other four. Their rivalry is defining the current era of men’s tennis.

Sunday’s success put Alcaraz level with legends such as John McEnroe and Mats Wilander on seven Grand Slam singles titles. Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi are among the group on eight.

Djokovic leads the way on 24 – is there any chance that Alcaraz could one day match or even surpass the Serb’s tally?

Cash added: “Novak’s record is just outrageous, but we also have to face the fact that the vast majority of [majors in] at least the next three years are going to be between two players.

“If he gets the edge on Sinner – and he has got a little bit of an edge on him at the moment in Grand Slam finals – you’d suggest out of the next 12-16 Grand Slam titles, he’s going to get eight or so.

“Carlos tears around the court and maybe he’s putting a little bit more strain on his body than some other players.

These days, whenever Novak Djokovic loses at a Grand Slam, one thought enters into your head.

Is this the last time we will see the 38-year-old play here?

It was a question asked of Djokovic after each of his major semi-finals defeats last year, and the answers were always woolly.

After losing 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 to Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s Australian Open final, Djokovic made another comment that left everyone wondering what his future intentions are.

“I didn’t think I’d be standing at the closing ceremony of a Grand Slam once again,” the 24-time major champion told the crowd during his runner-up speech.

“Who knows what happens tomorrow, never mind the next six or 12 months, but it has been a great ride.”

As ever, Djokovic was gracious in defeat. But there is no doubt the loss will sting sharply.

He knows it may prove to have been his best opportunity to land the standalone record 25th Grand Slam title that continues to elude him.

“I have belief, and I always have confidence and vision to win a Slam anywhere – but I do not expect it. That’s different,” Djokovic said.

The Serb great, who plays little outside of the four majors these days, genuinely appears to be unsure how long his career will go on.

“Nobody knows what it’s like for a 38-year-old to be able to come out, play at this level and then recover,” BBC Radio 5 Live analyst Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, said.

“Are you supposed to play more matches or do you play fewer? Do you train less or more?

“If he can find that right balance – and really nobody knows what that is – he can continue to be a threat.”

As long as Djokovic proves to himself that he has enough in the tank to push 22-year-old Alcaraz and 24-year-old Jannik Sinner – the standout talents of the current crop – then he will keep going.

Beating Italian second seed Sinner in the Melbourne semi-finals on Friday was testament to his indefatigable spirit.

Seeing off Alcaraz two days later, however, was a bridge too far.

Having not got to bed until 6am after beating Sinner, and deciding not to practise on Saturday, Djokovic was outstanding in the first set against Alcaraz.

However, he was not able to maintain that level and, with Alcaraz improving, ultimately fell to a four-set defeat.

“I knew that I’d probably have to beat two of them on the way to the title,” said Djokovic, who is a record 10-time men’s champion at Melbourne Park.

“I beat one, which is great, so it’s further than I have gone in Grand Slams last year.

“It’s encouraging but not enough for me. Let’s see.

Over the past two years, Alcaraz and Sinner have created a duopoly that has left everyone wondering where the next Grand Slam champion will emerge from.

It is testament to Djokovic’s enduring quality that he remains the third best placed to challenge them.

But, given his record at Melbourne Park, there is also an inescapable feeling that he has not taken his best chance of toppling them.

An element of luck helped Djokovic this year – avoiding a third-round default after almost hitting a ball girl with a reckless swipe, his fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrawing injured before their match and then watching a stricken Lorenzo Musetti quit when the Italian led their quarter-final by two sets to love.

“You don’t have to always play the number one and number two – somebody can get knocked out,” added Cash.

“If he has a bit of luck, which he did in this tournament, he’s definitely a threat to the top two guys.”

Going into the Australian Open, Djokovic insisted it was not “make or break” time for moving clear of fellow 24-time major winner Margaret Court.

At the time it was unclear whether that was a honestly-held belief or a public comment designed to alleviate the pressure.

After losing to Alcaraz, Djokovic reiterated that he has “lowered expectations” in order to avoid being “overwhelmed by emotion”.

Pakistan will take part in this month’s men’s T20 World Cup but will not play their scheduled match against tournament co-hosts India.

The country had been considering boycotting the competition after Bangladesh withdrew citing safety fears over travelling to India.

Political tensions also mean Pakistan and India have not faced each other outside men’s major tournaments since 2013, while India have not played in Pakistan since 2008.

The sides are scheduled to play in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in accordance with an agreement signed last year stating that the two countries will play at neutral venues whenever one of them hosts an ICC event.

In a statement, the Pakistan government said it “grants approval” to their team’s participation, but added “[the] Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India”.

The ICC has yet to publish its playing conditions for the tournament so it is not known what sanction Pakistan could face for boycotting the game.

However, the rules for the previous tournament stated: “If the match is decided by one side conceding defeat or refusing to play, the result shall be stated as Match Conceded or Match Awarded, as the case may be.”

Pakistan had previously announced their squad for the 20-team tournament, which begins on 7 February, but maintained participation was subject to government approval.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), meanwhile, had asked for their fixtures to be switched from India to the other host nation, Sri Lanka.

But that call was rejected by the ICC last month with the organisation saying there was an “absence of any credible security threat”.

The BCB then withdrew with Scotland replacing them in the tournament.

Alongside India, Pakistan have been placed with Namibia, Netherlands and the USA in Group A.