Novak Djokovic described his Australian Open conqueror Carlos Alcaraz as already a legendary figure in tennis.

Alcaraz fought back from a set down to deny Djokovic a 25th career grand slam title in Sunday's men's final in Melbourne.

The Spaniard's 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 triumph on Rod Laver Arena means that at 22 years and 258 days old, he surpasses Don Budge (22 years, 355 days in 1938) as the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.

He also levels his career head-to-head with Serbian great Djokovic at 5-5, while Alcaraz took his major title tally to seven already, surpassing Bjorn Borg (22 years, 356 days) to become the youngest player to reach that figure.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Djokovic said: "The results are a testament to his already stellar career. I can't think of any superlatives about him.

"He deserves every bit of praise he gets. He's a very nice young man. Good values. Nice family.

"He's already a legendary tennis player who has made a huge mark in the history books of tennis, at only 22 years of age."

Djokovic then joked: "The first time I played him, he was 11 or 12 years old. No, he was 18 or 19; you could already see he was destined for great things."

Nothing but respect #AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/O6Xlqe8qul

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 1, 2026

For 38-year-old Djokovic, this was his first slam final since Wimbledon 2024, having lost in the semis in all four of last year's major tournaments.

Having defeated Jannik Sinner in a five-set last-four epic here, Djokovic accepted he would have to beat both of the dominant forces in men's tennis right now to lift the title.

Despite his advancing years, Djokovic is adamant he will keep trying to add slam number 25.

"I knew I'd probably have to beat two of them on the way to the title," he added. "I beat one, which is great. It's a step further than I've gone in grand slams last year. 

"It's very nice and encouraging, but not enough for me. I'm going to keep pushing and see if I get another chance."