Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic to make history in the Australian Open final as he became the youngest man of all time to complete the career grand slam at the age of 22.

The world No 1 eclipsed Don Budge’s 1938 record by completing the set of four grand slam titles in record time, and now has seven overall after adding his first Australian Open crown to doubles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

“It is a dream come true for me,” said Alcaraz. With his 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 victory, he joins the illustrious list of nine men to win all four major titles, doing so faster than anyone else. “I think the best word to describe it is historic, legendary,” said Djokovic.

In doing so, Alcaraz denied Djokovic a major milestone in a historic final. The Serbian was aiming for the standalone grand slam singles title record of 25, and to become the oldest grand slam winner of all time at 38.

After beating defending champion Jannik Sinner in a five-set epic in the semi-finals, Djokovic was proud of his record-breaking run to the final but could not hide his disappointment as his bid for a 25th grand slam singles title slipped by.

“It’s an incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be couple of sets away maybe to win a championship,” he said. “Of course, after a loss, it’s a bitter feeling. But nevertheless I have to be content with this result.”