Carlos Alcaraz last Spaniard standing at the Australian Open as quarter-final awaits
Spain's hopes narrowed after injuries and straight-sets defeats removed the remaining contenders, leaving the world number one to carry the challenge in Melbourne
Pedro Luis Alonso / Enric Gardiner
Monday, 26 January 2026, 09:38
Carlos Alcaraz is the only Spanish player left in the Australian Open after reaching the quarter-finals, where he will face Alex de Minaur on Tuesday. The world number two progressed with a straight-sets win over Tommy Paul on Sunday, prevailing 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 7-5 to underline his status as the nation’s standard bearer in Melbourne.
Alcaraz’s run has come against the backdrop of a swift collapse of the wider Spanish contingent, led by the exit of Malaga-born Alejandro Davidovich.
The 26-year-old was forced to retire from his third-round match against Paul after just 59 minutes, trailing 6-1 6-1, having felt a sharp pain in his left hamstring early in the second set. It was the fifth defeat in five meetings with the American, who has become an enduring obstacle for the Andalusian.
Davidovich, seeded 14th, arrived in Melbourne with confidence but was physically compromised and never settled on the John Cain Arena. He called for medical treatment after losing serve in the second set and, following a brief attempt to continue, opted to stop to avoid aggravating the injury.
The withdrawal denied the tournament a potential all-Spanish last-16 meeting with Alcaraz and leaves Davidovich facing a ranking drop after failing to defend points from last year.
Badosa, Jódar and Munar all drop out
Elsewhere, the Spanish challenge unravelled earlier in the week. In the second round, Jaume Munar was beaten in straight sets by Casper Ruud, unable to turn competitiveness into a genuine opening against the Norwegian.
Rafael Jódar, playing his first Grand Slam, exited at the same stage after a 6-2 6-4 6-4 defeat by Jakub Mensik, though the Madrid teenager leaves with a significant rankings boost.
Paula Badosa also departed at the same stage, losing to Oksana Selekhmeteva in a result that will see her slide down the standings.
With Davidovich sidelined and the rest eliminated, Alcaraz now carries Spanish hopes alone. His quarter-final against De Minaur pits him against the home favourite, but his composure against Paul suggested he is ready to shoulder that responsibility once more.
