LeBron James was delighted to see World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz rocking his LA Lakers jersey during a practice session at the Australian Open 2026. The Spaniard recently arrived in Melbourne for the season’s first Major, where he’s gunning to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Before the tournament gets underway next week, Alcaraz will take part in a couple of exhibition events during the Opening Week festivities. He will participate in the 1 Point Slam on Wednesday, January 14, followed by a showdown against Alex de Minaur on Thursday, January 15.
Alcaraz was spotted practicing at the Rod Laver Arena on Monday, January 12, ahead of his upcoming matches. What caught everyone’s attention that he chose to don James’ No. 23 jersey, something which the basketball legend noticed as well. The American shared his joy at the same on Instagram, writing “(salute) to the young (king)”.
📱 LeBron James on Instagram: “🫡🙏 to the Young 🤴” @carlosalcaraz | @KingJames
Alcaraz is a huge basketball lover, and tries to attend some NBA games during his free time. He also looks up to James as an inspiration, citing his discipline and work ethic as something he wants to emulate. James has scripted history on numerous occasions with his achievements, and Alcaraz will aim to do the same in Melbourne.
Carlos Alcaraz gunning to become the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam
Rafael Nadal completed a Career Grand Slam with his triumph at the US Open 2010. He became the youngest man to attain the feat, accomplishing this milestone at 24 years of age.
Carlos Alcaraz, who’s currently 22 years old, has the opportunity to eclipse Nadal if he wins the Australian Open 2026 to complete the Career Grand Slam. However, he hasn’t historically performed well at the season’s first Major.
Back-to-back quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025 remain Alcaraz’s best results at the Australian Open so far. He lost to Alexander Zverev in four sets in 2024, while Novak Djokovic beat him in four set as well in 2025.
Alcaraz’s chief rival, Jannik Sinner, is the two-time defending champion. The two have competed in the finals of the preceding three Majors. Should they meet in Melbourne as well, then they would become just the third pair in history to lock horns in four consecutive Major finals, following Venus and Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
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