After a grueling battle against Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in an Australian Open final for the first time in his career. If he goes on to beat Novak Djokovic, the 22-year-old would become the youngest man ever to complete a Career Grand Slam. He would also join an elite group as just the sixth man of the Open Era, and the fifth ATP No. 1, to win all four major titles at least once. Now, Alcaraz has opened up about what he would be willing to sacrifice for a shot at history in Melbourne.

Following his 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over the world No. 3 in a 5-hour, 27-minute semifinal thriller inside Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz was asked a fascinating question. If he had to choose between winning this Australian Open to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam or winning the other three majors later this year, which would he pick? The 22-year-old didn’t dodge it and gave an honest answer.

“I would choose this one,” Alcaraz said, pointing toward the Australian Open, before breaking into a laugh. He added, “If I make the final of the other three, yeah.” But his choice was clear. “I would rather win this one than the three and complete the Grand Slam and become the youngest ever to do it,” the 22-year-old added.

And that choice makes perfect sense. At just 22, Carlos Alcaraz has already won the French Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon, twice each. The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam title missing from his résumé since he turned pro in 2018, and understandably, it’s the one that has continued to elude the world No. 1.

Also, as he’s said before, the fans at the Australian Open have been a huge driving force for Carlos Alcaraz. When the 28-year-old German leveled the match and surged ahead 5-3 in the fifth set, even stepping up to serve for a place in the final at 5-4, it looked like the moment might be slipping away. But Alcaraz fed off the energy inside the stadium. With 15,000 fans chanting “Carlitos, Carlitos,” he found one last burst of inspiration, rattling off four straight games to seal his maiden final at Melbourne Park.

Now, with Alcaraz riding that wave of momentum and fully fired up for Sunday’s final at Rod Laver Arena, he’s just one win away from making history. And as he looks ahead to a massive showdown with Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz has revealed how Rafael Nadal could play a role in helping him handle the moment on the biggest stage.

How Carlos Alcaraz plans to take a page out of Rafael Nadal’s playbook

Speaking in the Spanish portion of his press conference, Carlos Alcaraz explained how Rafael Nadal is unknowingly helping him ahead of the Australian Open final. He pointed to the sheer physical effort Nadal showed back in 2012, saying those memories have become a source of inspiration as he tries to recover from a grueling five-and-a-half-hour battle with Alexander Zverev.

Despite how tough things got, the 22-year-old made it clear that quitting never crossed his mind. Alcaraz further explained that closing out a match of that magnitude is never easy.

Now, looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Alcaraz brought up Nadal once again. He said Grand Slam finals have a way of carrying you through, no matter how tired you feel. Referring to Nadal’s famous Australian Open battles, he noted that they prove the body can endure incredible punishment, especially when the mind is clear and fully committed.

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“Well, it reminds me a bit of when Rafa had that great semifinal in Australia and then thought he wouldn’t be able to do it, only to lose in the fifth set,” Carlos Alcaraz said.

“I think in a Grand Slam final, you never know, you can say you’re tired and you shouldn’t give it your all. I think the match will carry us along, you know? It’ll carry us to a good final. Doing what Rafa did is a clear way of saying that the body can endure it, although if your mind is there or if your mind has things clear.”

So, can Rafael Nadal’s mental toughness really give Alcaraz an edge against Novak Djokovic in the final? What do you think?