World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz arrived for a Jan. 12 practice session at Melbourne Park wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey featuring LeBron James’ No. 23, drawing instant attention ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.
The tournament’s official X account posted a short clip of the 22-year-old Spaniard warming up in the gold-and-purple uniform, captioning the video, “Game recognises game.” The first Grand Slam of the season begins Jan. 18.
Alcaraz enters the event seeking the lone major missing from his résumé. Although he has captured six Grand Slam titles over the past three seasons, the Australian Open has never seen him advance beyond the quarterfinals.
His primary rival, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, 24, has lifted the trophy in Melbourne the last two years and aims for a third consecutive championship.
Alcaraz, who turned professional at 14—five months after James’ 2003 NBA debut—has often cited elite athletes from other sports as inspiration. James, 41, remains a global figure in his 23rd NBA season with the Lakers. In recognition of that unprecedented longevity, Los Angeles plans to add a special “23rd season” patch to James’ jersey starting with the Jan. 12 home game against the Sacramento Kings.
Alcaraz will hope the four-time NBA champion’s example carries into his own pursuit of a first Australian Open crown when main-draw play begins next week.
Source: Lakers Nation
