Key Gaza border crossing reopens, a step forward in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire

TheRafah border crossingbetween the Gaza Strip and Egypt partially reopened Monday, a significant step in theceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The limited reopening will allow some movement of people in and out of the Palestinian enclave, enabling small numbers in need of medical aid to leave Gaza and letting some others return to the territory.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military agency COGAT, Shimi Zuaretz, confirmed to NBC News that the crossing had reopened at 2 a.m. ET. He was unable to say how many people had crossed so far.

COGAT had said Sunday the crossing would reopen only for the movement of people. It earlier warned that the crossings at Rafah would be limited and would involve security clearance by Israel.

European Union border officers are expected to assist with operations at the crossing, consistent with past operations in Rafah. Shadi Othman, media officer at the European Union Office in Jerusalem, told NBC News on Monday the reopening would allow dozens of patients to leave Gaza, while dozens of people would enter from the Egyptian side.

"This is today's plan," Othman said. "We will wait until the end of the day to see what will happen and to know the final number of those who depart and those who enter."

The crossing in Gaza's southernmost city has been nearly completely closed since May 2024, amid Israel's massive military offensive launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack. The conflict was brought to a halt in October by a ceasefire brokered in part by the United States.

The closure of the Rafah crossing, which has long been one of the only gateways to the rest of the world for Palestinians in Gaza, cut off an important route for the sick or injured to get medical care outside the war-ravaged enclave. Hospitals and other lifesaving infrastructure inside Gaza have been largely destroyed or badly damaged in the Israeli offensive.

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The Egyptian Health Ministry said Monday that the level of preparedness at all health care facilities had been raised for the movement of patients and the wounded, and the return to Gaza of those who have recovered. Some 150 hospitals nationwide, nearly 12,000 doctors and between 250 and 300 fully equipped ambulances, were on standby for crisis management, it said.

Khaled Mujawir, the governor of Egypt's North Sinai province, told NBC News on Sunday that 150 wounded, injured and sick Palestinians from Gaza were expected to arrive in Egypt on Monday.

The director of the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis told NBC News that Israel had approved travel for only five patients from a list of 27 the hospital had submitted for transfer. Delaying travel of those in medical need out of Gaza is "a real threat to their lives," Dr. Atef Al-Hout said.

The reopening the crossing in both directions is a key pillar ofPresident Donald Trump's peace plan for Gazaand comes just days after the remains ofthe last hostage held in the enclave were returned to Israel.

The reopening could signal a long-awaited transition to the second phase of the plan, which also involves Hamas' disarmament, the transfer of power to a new technocratic government and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

But many details remain uncertain, and the ceasefire remains shaky.

Israeli strikes on Gaza killedat least 30 Palestinians including several children Saturday, local officials said, a day after Israel accused Hamas of new truce violations. Israel's army said it was targeting Hamas militants and weapons sites across the Gaza Strip.

Israel has killed more than 500 people in Gaza since the ceasefire began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

Key Gaza border crossing reopens, a step forward in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire

TheRafah border crossingbetween the Gaza Strip and Egypt partially reopened Monday, a significant step in theceasefire be...

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Latest Batch of Epstein Files Has Global Impact

UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson arrives at the Cabinet Office in central London on Wednesday June 18, 2025. Credit - Jonathan Brady—PA Images

The Justice Department's (DOJ) release of files related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday has revealed further details about his ties to powerful figures in the United States.

The new batch of some three million pages included never-before-seen communications between Epstein and Secretary of CommerceHoward Lutnick, TeslaCEO Elon Muskand billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, to name a few.

The presence of someone's name or communications in the files is not proof of wrongdoing.

Read more:lintons Refuse Subpoena in Epstein Inquiry as Republicans Threaten Contempt Proceedings

But the files have also revealed Epstein's global reach, causing shockwaves far beyond the United States.

From a resignation in Slovakia's government to a terse response from India's prime minister, here is how the latest batch of Epstein files is reverberating worldwide.

A minister resigns in Slovakia

The national security adviser to Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has resigned in the wake of the latest document drop by the DOJ after his name was among those who allegedly corresponded with Epstein.

The text messages and emails appear to show a discussion between Miroslav Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister, and Epstein about movies, foreign affairs, and women.

In one series of text messages, a Lajcakappearsto message Epstein: "Regards from Kiev! Just to confirm that girls here are as gorgeous as ever:)".

Lajcak denied any wrongdoing and condemned Epstein's crimes in a statement, adding he was stepping down "Not because I did anything criminal or unethical," but so that Fico "does not bear political costs for something unrelated to his decisions," according to localSlovakmedia.

Prime Minister Fico announced Lajcak's decision in a video statement on Facebook, praising him as "a great diplomat." In light of calls from the opposition party for Lajcak to resign, Fico said that media coverage of the case has been "hypocritical."`

India responds to email about Modi

One email between Epstein and a "Y. Jabor", in which he discussed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's relationship with the U.S. and Israel, prompted a response from the Indian government on Saturday.  In the email, sent after Modi's 2017 visit to Israel, Epstein said that the prime minister "danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US president."

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The Indian governmentdeniedEpstein's characterization of the visit. "Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," the statement said.

Modi was the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, and the trip was seen as a shift in relations between the two countries. Donald Trump was in his first term in office as president at the time.

More pressure on Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, wasstrippedof his titles and evicted from his royal residence by Buckingham Palace in October 2025 after years of controversy over his well-known ties to Epstein. He is the subject of allegations from one of Epstein's most vocal victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, who said in her posthumous memoir that she was forced to have sexual encounters with Andrew when she was a teen, which the British royal has repeatedly denied.

Mountbatten-Windsor is once again in the news as the newest batch of Epstein files show photographs of the former royal leaning over a woman or girl lying on the floor, whose face has been redacted. It is unclear where the photographs were taken, as no captions or comments accompanied them.

Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and has denied Giuffre's accusations.

Beyond Mountbatten-Windsor, Peter Mandelson, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, has also been implicated in the most recent batch of Epstein files released Friday. Bank statements released in the pages suggest that Epstein made $75,000 in payments to accounts connected to Lord Mandelson. The alleged payments were separated into three $25,000 sums between 2003 and 2004.

The files also suggest that after his release from prison in 2009, Epstein sent thousands of dollars in bank transfers to Peter Mandelson's then-partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva.  A spokesperson for Mandelson toldSky News:"Neither he nor his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, has any record or recollection of receiving payments in 2003 or 2004 or know whether the documentation is authentic."

"There are also multiple formatting errors in the documents and I would like JP Morgan to confirm on the record that they are certain these documents are authentic and that the individual cheques are also authentic," Lord Mandelson told Sky News.

"Until this fact checking has been achieved I maintain my original position which is that I have no record and no recollection of ever receiving these sums and that these statements are false," he continued.

Mandelson was fired as the U.K.'s ambassador to the United States in Septemberafter the country's foreign office said that a previous release of emails showed that the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was "materially different from that known at the time of his appointment."

The new files add further political pressure on Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor to testify before Congress about their links to Epstein. The House Oversight Committee called on the former royal to travel to Washington for questioning.

"In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters Friday.  "Epstein's victims have to be the first priority."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

Latest Batch of Epstein Files Has Global Impact

UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson arrives at the Cabinet Office in central London on Wednesday June 18, 2025....

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What to know after a deadly landslide in eastern Congo kills at least 200 miners

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A landslide last week collapsed several tunnels at a major coltan mine in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 people dead in the rebel-controlled site.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, after heavy rains caused several hand-dug tunnels in the unregulated mine to cave in, according to the regional governor's spokesperson.

The M23 rebels and the Congolese government traded accusations over responsibility as reports from the remote region began to emerge.

The collapse is one of the deadliest disasters in years in an area already facing a humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict.

In May 2024, M23seized the town of Rubaya and took control of its mines.

Here's what to know about the collapse:

Why did the accident happen?

On Wednesday, following heavy rains in eastern Congo, a network of hand-dug tunnels collapsed, killing at least 200 artisanal miners and trapping an unknown number who remain missing. The mine, located around 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the west of the regional capital of Goma, has been under the control of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels since early 2024 and employs thousands of miners who operate largely by hand.

Miners dig long tunnels, often parallel to one another, with limited support and no safe evacuation route in case of a collapse.

A former miner at the site told The Associated Press that there have been repeated landslides because the tunnels are dug by hand, poorly constructed, and not maintained.

"People dig everywhere, without control or safety measures. In a single pit, there can be as many as 500 miners, and because the tunnels run parallel, one collapse can affect many pits at once," former miner Clovis Mafare said.

Congo's government, in a statement on X, expressed solidarity with the victims' families and accused the rebels of illegally and unsafely exploiting the region's natural resources. An M23 spokesperson accused the government of politicizing a "tragic accident" and provided a list of other collapses at government-controlled mines.

What is happening in eastern Congo?

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold ineastern Congo, where a decades-long conflict has raged.

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Since early last year, the M23 rebel group has been on theoffensive,taking the regional capitals of Goma and Bukavu and advancing toward the south of the country. The group, composed primarily of fighters from the Tutsi minority who failed to integrate into the Congolese army, launched an insurgency against the Congolese government in 2012. It was then dormant for a decade, until its resurgence in 2022.

M23 claims to defend Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination. Critics say it's a pretext for neighboring Rwanda to obtain economic and political influence over eastern Congo.

Congo, the United States, and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021. Now, according to the United Nations, the group has around 6,500 fighters.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Why is Rubaya important?

The Rubaya mines have been at the center of the fighting, changing hands between the Congolese government and rebel groups. For over a year now, the site has been controlled by the M23 rebels.

The mines produce coltan — short for columbite-tantalite — an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted. Both are considered critical raw materials by the United States, the European Union, China, and Japan. Tantalum is used in mobile phones, computers, and automotive electronics, as well as in aircraft engines, missile components, and GPS systems. Niobium is used in pipelines, rockets, and jet engines.

According to a U.N. report, since seizing Rubaya, the M23 has imposed taxes on the monthly trade and transport of 120 metric tonnes (118 tons) of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month. The coltan is then exported to Rwanda, U.N. experts said. But even before M23 seized control of the mine, analysts said that the mineral was sold to Rwanda, the only difference being that it was done through Congolese intermediaries.

Experts say it is not easy to trace how coltan reaches Western countries because of a murky supply chain.

How is the United States involved?

The Trump administrationhosted the leaders of Rwanda and Congoin December and oversaw the signing of a peace deal that critics say has done little to slow the fighting.

Lauded by the White House as a "historic" agreement brokered by Trump, the pact followedmonthslong peace efforts by the U.S.and partners, including the African Union and Qatar, and finalized an earlier dealsigned in June.

The region of eastern Congo,rich in critical minerals,has been of interest to Trump as Washington seeks ways to circumvent China to secure rare earths. China accounts for nearly 70% of the world's rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.

TheNational Energy Emergencyexecutive order, issued by Trump, highlighted the significance of critical minerals — including tantalum and niobium — and called for securing U.S. access to ensure both "modern life and military preparedness."

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

What to know after a deadly landslide in eastern Congo kills at least 200 miners

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A landslide last week collapsed several tunnels at a major coltan mine in eastern Congo, leaving at...

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Misconduct complaint dismissed against judge who handled El Salvador prison deportation case

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court judge has dismissed a misconduct complaint filed by the Justice Department against a judge who clashed with PresidentDonald Trump's administration overdeportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

The complaint against U.S. District JudgeJames E. Boasbergwas dismissed on Dec. 19 by Jeffrey S. Sutton, chief judge of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals but the order only came to light this weekend.

The complaint stemmed from remarks that Boasberg, the chief judge in the district court in the nation's capital, allegedly made in March 2025 to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges at a judicial conference saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings. The meeting took place days before Boasberg issued an order blocking deportation flights that Trump was carrying outby invoking wartime authoritiesfrom an 18th century law.

In the dismissal order, Sutton said the Justice Department never provided a listed attachment to provide proof of what Boasberg said or the context of the alleged statement at the closed-door conference.

"A recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them. And a repetition of uncorroborated statements rarely supplies a basis for a valid misconduct complaint," said Sutton, who was appointed by President George W. Bush to the appeals court circuit that covers Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department and for Boasberg's court did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Even if Boasberg had made the comments, Sutton said it would not be "so far afield" from topics discussed at the gathering and would not violate ethics rules. Sutton noted that Roberts' 2024 year-end report raised general concerns about threats to judicial independence, security concerns for judges and respect for court orders throughout the nation's history.

The misconduct complaint was filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but Srinivasan asked Roberts to transfer it to another appeals court circuit because it was still considering appeals related to the deportation case, according to the dismissal order. Roberts transferred it to the 6th Circuit, it said.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Misconduct complaint dismissed against judge who handled El Salvador prison deportation case

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court judge has dismissed a misconduct complaint filed by the Justice Department agai...

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Partial government shutdown expected to extend longer than anticipated

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday morning that his caucus will meet later in the day to map out its next steps over its demands for reforms to the Department of Homeland Security as a partial government shutdown went into its second day.

The Senate on Friday voted to separate a DHS funding bill from five others funding other agencies for the rest of the fiscal year after reaching a deal with the White House to put it off for two weeks to negotiate Democratic demands for restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid its immigration enforcement operation, including requiring agents to wear body cameras turned on and to not wear masks.

House Speaker Mike Johnson hoped to vote on the funding bills on Monday when the House returns under suspension of the rules, which would have required a two-thirds majority.

But on Saturday, Jeffries said Democrats will not join Republicans in expediting the passage of the Senate package, telling MSNOW, "We need a full and complete debate, and what I've made clear to House Republicans is that they cannot simply move forward with legislation taking a 'my way or the highway' approach."

Johnson told Fox News on Sunday that he is confident the package will pass by Tuesday.

"We'll have a lot of conversations to have with individual Republican members over the next 24 hours or so," Johnson said. "We'll get all this done by Tuesday, I'm convinced."

Johnson will now have to first pass the package through the House Rules Committee before it can be taken to the floor for a vote so Republicans can attempt to pass the package with a simple majority.

The committee announced Saturday that a markup on the Senate-passed funding package is set for Monday at 4 p.m. -- the first of several steps before the package can receive a full vote on the House floor. It is unclear if Johnson has the necessary GOP support to advance the package given his slim majority.

Jeffries told ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that Democrats want an agreement on their demands for reforms at DHS.

"We need a robust path toward dramatic reform," he told ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday. "The administration can't just talk the talk. They need to walk the walk. That should begin today, not in two weeks."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Sunday that Trump will be the "decider" on any policy change when it comes to immigration enforcement reforms but said he is willing to negotiate with Democrats.

"Last week, the White House invited moderate Democrat senators to come to the White House and to discuss their concerns so that we can hear them out and at least see what they are trying to put on the table," Leavitt told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures. "Unfortunately, that meeting was blocked by their leadership, so these conversations will continue and ultimately, the president will be the decider on any policy changes."

Some Democrats questioned whether Trump really wanted change to the country's immigration enforcement policy.

Rep. Ro Khanna said he would vote against the DHS funding bill.

"I just don't see how, in good conscience, Democrats can vote for continuing ICE funding when they're killing American citizens, when there's no provision to repeal the tripling of the budget. I hope my colleagues will say no."

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said he hasn't seen a willingness from Trump to come to the negotiating table.

"He's not convening any process to bring Republicans together to try to reform our laws, Murphy told "Fox News Sunday." "Donald Trump wants to use the issue of immigration to divide us from each other, to try to make us believe that our neighbors, our lawful resident neighbors, are something that we have to fear."

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul criticized Border Patrol commander at large Gregory Bovino for inflaming the ICE's immigration reform effort in Minneapolis and said he thought White House border czar Tom Homan being dispatched there could deescalate tensions.

"He put his agents in a position they should never have been put in. They have no training for crowd control. Their job is to go in and remove criminal aliens, violent felons from the United States, and get them out of here," McCaul told "Face the Nation." And so, you know, Tom Homan is a consummate professional. He's been doing this for a long time. I've known him for a long time. He's going to go back to the core mission of ICE , and that's targeted law enforcement operations, not roving the streets, causing chaos."

Last-minute Senate vote

The latest uncertainty in the government funding saga comes after the Senate met a last-minute deadline Friday to approve the revised package of government funding bills for the rest of the fiscal year.

The vote was 71-29, with only five Republicans voting against: Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Rick Scott.

The Senate voted after Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham lifted his hold after securing a commitment from Senate Majority Leader John Thune for a vote in the coming weeks on banning sanctuary cities.

Graham earlier Friday said he would lift his hold for a vote on his sanctuary cities bill and one which allows members of Congress to sue the government if federal investigators gain access to their phone records without their knowledge. Those provisions were stripped out of the funding package initially passed by the House.

Government funding negotiations hit snag after Democrats announce deal

The funding fight over DHS erupted in the aftermath of the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, who was killed in a shooting involving federal law enforcement in Minneapolis over the weekend.

With Senate passage in the rear-view mirror, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer laid out the pillars of reform to the Homeland Security bill that Democrats will fight to enact over the next two weeks.

"The bottom line is very simple: the American people are crying out for change," Schumer said immediately following the Senate vote Friday evening. "This is not America, not America. And when you see those images, know that something is dramatically wrong and it must change. We are fighting to change it. Will our Republican colleagues join us now?"

With only two weeks to negotiate changes, Schumer stressed that Democrats will demand an end to roving patrols, enforce accountability and mandate masks off and body-cameras turned on.

"If our colleagues are not willing to enact real change, real strong change, they should not expect Democratic votes," Schumer said. "We have only a few days to deliver real progress for the American people, the eyes of the nation are watching."

Schumer said he intends to huddle with Thune to set the parameters of negotiations -- not necessarily President Donald Trump.

"We're going to have a group of Democrats negotiate. We're going to have to negotiate with the Republicans to get this done," Schumer said. "But as we've said over and over again, they shouldn't expect our votes if they're not willing to go along with strong legislation."

"We need Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to pass this, so I'm going to talk to Thune," he said.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Partial government shutdown expected to extend longer than anticipated

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday morning that his caucus will meet later in the day to map out its next ...

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Teenagers charged in Louisiana parade shootings that injured child, 4 others

CLINTON, La. (AP) — Authorities in Louisiana said Sunday they have arrested two teenagers in the shootings of a 6-year-old child and four others wounded during a small town's weekend parade.

The suspects, ages 19 and 15, are charged with attempted murder, obstructing justice and reckless discharge of a firearm, the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on social media.

Gunfire sent people scrambling for cover Saturday during the Mardi Gras in the Country Parade in Clinton, located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Baton Rouge.

All five victims were expected to survive, sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Bill Cox toldThe Advocateon Saturday. The department said Sunday it was unaware of any changes in the victims' conditions.

The sheriff's office said Sunday the two teenagers charged were among three people detained Saturday after they were found with guns near the parade.

The third person, a 26-year-old man, has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, according to the sheriff's office, but investigators do not believe he was involved in the shootings.

Authorities have not given a suspected motive for the shootings. More arrests are expected, the sheriff's office statement said.

Investigators have asked for anyone with photos or video of the shooting or nearby areas to share those with authorities.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Teenagers charged in Louisiana parade shootings that injured child, 4 others

CLINTON, La. (AP) — Authorities in Louisiana said Sunday they have arrested two teenagers in the shootings of a 6-year-ol...

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic may be the greatest now, but Carlos Alcaraz is coming for his GOAT status

Now thathe has won the Australian Open, now that he is the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, now that the major title count is at No. 7 with so much career runway to go, we no longer need to be afraid of saying what is obvious.

Novak Djokovic may currently stand as the greatest and most accomplished tennis player of all time, but Carlos Alcaraz is the most gifted person who has ever held a racket.

We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs.

But our eyes do not deceive us.

This smiling Spanish prodigy, this whirling dervish of speed and power and mental genius, has crossed the threshold between what we thought he could be and what he really is: An absolute monster whose entire package of skills is unequaled by anyone who has ever played tennis.

As someone who grew up on Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who cherished how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the sport and who has grown to appreciate the way Djokovic maintained his body and evolved his game to stay relevant into his late 30s, I don't think that's hyperbole.

Alcaraz has everything. He is him. And he's only going to get better.

Alcaraz's 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory in Sunday's Australian Open finallooked the way it probably should have looked between a 22-year-old and a 38-year-old who both played five-set marathons in the semifinals. Djokovic came out on fire, playing arguably one of the best sets of his career, and then began to fade as the younger man imposed his superior physicality. Alcaraz took the punch, started to work Djokovic into the corners and steadily asserted control over the proceedings. In the end, it wasn't all that close.

Despite what was on the line in this match — the career Slam versus Djokovic becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to win a major — starting to think about Alcaraz's place among the all-time greats is not based on this one match. Nor was this Australian final the passing-of-the-torch moment because that happened long before now.

This is about Alcaraz, now having conquered all four tournaments that define tennis greatness, thrusting himself into different conversations. Two years ago, he was picking off majors while working around his flaws. Now, he has none.

It has been a bit cliché to say that Alcaraz combines the best attributes of the Big Three — Roger Federer's creativity and flair, Nadal's competitive spirit and Djokovic's technical mastery. But there's really no case against it. Alcaraz already had all the shots and world-class athleticism when he came on tour as a teenager. But as he's grown up, Alcaraz has added so many layers to his tactical development and sharpened his in-match concentration that it brings to mind what Bobby Jones said in 1965 about Jack Nicklaus, who in turn used the same phrase about Tiger Woods: "He plays a game with which I am not familiar."

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When Nicklaus said that, Woods was on his way to winning his fifth major at the 2000 PGA Championship. At that moment, it seemed a given he would surpass Nicklaus' record of 18.

As we know now, that never happened. Injuries and self-inflicted adversity got in the way, leaving Woods with 15. But for those fortunate enough to remember Woods' peak, the golf we watched him play was simply better than anything anyone had ever seen.

That's where we are with Alcaraz now. This level of tennis is something completely new and different, and it comes from a young man in a big hurry to rewrite the history of the sport.

Already, he is in a club with just nine names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the only men who won all four Slams.

What we don't know yet is whether 24 majors — the most sacred of Djokovic's many records — will eventually come into play. The gap is still huge, and so many things can happen, from injuries to major life changes to motivation to another all-time great coming along whose name we don't yet know.

But at the rate he's going, Alcaraz would need to average two majors per year until he's 31 to break the record. It's crazy to say, given how hard these tournaments are to win, but that feels firmly within the realm of possibility because there really are no more questions for Alcaraz to answer.

Could he win on all surfaces? Yes. Could he eliminate the dips in focus that made things more complicated than they needed to be earlier in his career? It was only a matter of time. Could he turn his serve from a decent shot into a weapon? It happened in one offseason. Could he do it without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his coaching box? Well, he just did.

That last one may not resonate much with casual fans, butthestory of tennis' offseason was Alcaraz separating from the coach who essentially raised him. This was more than just a professional relationship. Ferrero was almost like a second father, and his presence in the biggest moments often seemed like the support blanket Alcaraz needed when he was forced to manage stressful situations.

The details of their break-up are still murky, but they don't matter much. It was just another hurdle for Alcaraz to conquer, and he went to Australia and cleared it with ease. His semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, breaking serve in the fifth set to stay in the tournament, was maybe the most mentally tough victory of his young career.

So what's next? What's remaining?

Just the history left to be made, and putting the numbers behind what our eyes tell us.

While Djokovic, for now, is still the greatest of all time, Alcaraz is the best thing tennis has ever seen.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic may be the greatest now, but Carlos Alcaraz is coming for his GOAT status

Now thathe has won the Australian Open, now that he is the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, now that the m...

Read More