Carlos Alcaraz (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Carlos Alcaraz overcame physical pressure and wild momentum to defeat Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set semi-final on Friday, securing a place in his first Australian Open final and making history.The 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man in the Open era to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments. He is now one win away from becoming the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.
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Alcaraz’s path to the finals was anything but straightforward. He won 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 in a marathon contest lasting 5 hours and 27 minutes, despite being just two points away from winning the third set. Until then, he had not dropped a set in the tournament.After dominating early, Alcaraz appeared on course for a routine finish before the match took a dramatic turn. In the ninth game of the third set, he began limping and showing clear signs of discomfort in the upper right leg. After holding serve 5-4, he took a medical timeout and rubbed the inside of his thigh while a trainer treated the area. Zverev was visibly unhappy about the interruption and expressed his frustration to a tournament official.Despite the limited movement, Alcaraz continued to hit winners to move to 6-5, requiring further treatment in the transition to the Euro. Loudly cheered on by the Rod Laver Arena crowd, he threatened again in the next game, but Zverev held firm and held on to win the tiebreaker.Zverev, the world number three and runner-up at the 2025 Australian Open, kept his cool as the contest went beyond four hours. He controlled the fourth set and broke another tiebreak to send the match into a deciding fifth set for the first Center Court five-setter at the 2026 tournament.Alcaraz immediately fell behind, dropping serve in the opening game and missing five break points as Zverev closed in on victory. The breakthrough came in the sixth game when Alcaraz produced a stunning sprint and slide to claim a drop shot and finish with a sharp angled forehand, igniting the crowd.The break finally came when Zverev served for the match at 5-4. Alcaraz broke back, held commandingly for 6-5, then sealed the match by converting his first match point as Zverev served to stay alive.Alcaraz will now face either two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open winner who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. The lengthy afternoon epic also pushed back the start of the night semifinals.
