Sipu Jha
Carlos Alcaraz pushed through physical distress and a wild swing of momentum to subdue Alexander Zverev in a gripping five-set semifinal on Friday, sealing a place in his first Australian Open final and making history in the process.The 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man in the Open era to reach the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments. He is now one win away from becoming the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz’s route to the final was anything but straightforward. He prevailed 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 from victory in the third set. Until then, he had not dropped a single set in the tournament.Having dominated early, Alcaraz appeared on course for a routine finish before the match turned dramatically. In the ninth game of the third set, he began limping and showed clear signs of discomfort in his upper right leg. After holding serve for 5-4, he took a medical timeout, rubbing the inside of his thigh as the trainer treated the area. Zverev was visibly unhappy with the interruption and voiced his frustration to a tournament official.Despite restricted movement, Alcaraz continued to strike winners and pushed on to 6-5, requiring further treatment at the changeover. Backed loudly by the Rod Laver Arena crowd, he threatened again in the next game, but Zverev held firm, forcing and winning the tiebreaker.Zverev, the world No. 3 and runner-up at the 2025 Australian Open, kept his composure as the contest extended beyond four hours. He controlled the fourth set and edged another tiebreak, sending the match into a deciding fifth set, the first five-setter played on centre court at the 2026 tournament.Alcaraz immediately fell behind, dropping serve in the opening game, and squandered five break points as Zverev inched closer to victory. The turning point came in the sixth game when Alcaraz produced a stunning sprint and slide to retrieve a drop shot and finish with a sharp angled forehand, igniting the crowd.The breakthrough finally arrived when Zverev served for the match at 5-4. Alcaraz broke back, held confidently for 6-5, and then closed out the contest 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 chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. The lengthy afternoon epic also pushed back the start of the night semifinal.
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