MELBOURNE, Australia – Carlos Alcaraz overcame potential cramps and injuries to fend off Alexander Zverev in an epic, momentum-swinging five-setter Friday, becoming the youngest man in the Open era to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam events.
At 22 years old, he wants to be the youngest man to complete a Grand Slam career.
He reached his first Australian Open final the hard way, winning 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 in 5 hours and 27 minutes. It was the longest match of the tournament so far and the third longest match at Melbourne Park.
That was despite being two points shy of a semi-final victory in the third set in a tournament in which he had not dropped a set in five rounds.
After a medical timeout for treatment of his right thigh and massages to the same area on two substitutions, Alcaraz’s footwork was not at its usual level for the remainder of the match.
He was behind in the fifth set after dropping the first game, but kept up the pressure and only broke back when Zverev served for the match in the 10th.
The top-ranked Alcaraz will next face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner or 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles crown. The marathon afternoon match delayed the start of the night semi-final.
When asked how he was able to recover despite being so close to defeat, Alcaraz only said that he “kept believing, believing all the time.”
“I was struggling in the middle of the third set. You know, physically it was one of the most demanding matches I’ve ever played,” he said. “But I’ve been in situations like this, I’ve played in games like this before, so I knew what to do.
“I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it. I fought until the last ball. Very proud (of) myself.”
Alcaraz had a two-set lead and looked to be in the form that won him the US Open last year and has helped him tie the last eight majors with Sinner.
But in the ninth game of the third, he started limping and appeared to be struggling with a problem with his right upper leg. After holding 5-4, he took a medical timeout during the changeover. It may have been a cramp, but he rubbed the inside of his right thigh and called over the trainer, who also massaged the same area.
Zverev was demonstrably upset as he argued with a tournament official when his rival was given a three-minute break for treatment.
Even with his limited footwork, Alcaraz hit winners to get to 6-5 before the trainer came back in substitution to massage the spot again.
When he went back out, the crowd gave him rousing support. Zverev served a double fault to open the next game, and Alcaraz lobbed and then hit a forehand winner down the line to make it 0-30. But Zverev won four straight points to force the tiebreak and then win.
No. 3 Zverev, the 2025 runner-up, kept his composure despite the obvious discomfort of Alcaraz and the Rod Laver Arena crowd firmly behind the Spaniard.
He led for the entire fourth set, but Alcaraz stayed with him until Zverev took the lead again in the tiebreak. More than four hours had passed when the match went to a fifth set, the first five-setter on center court in the 2026 tournament.
Alcaraz dropped serve in the opening game of the fifth set, but stuck with Zverev and had five break point chances without being able to convert.
The drama dissipated in the sixth game when Alcaraz sprinted across the court to track down a drop shot and slid at full speed to an angled forehand winner. The crowd went crazy.
Alcaraz finally converted a break when Zverev served for the match at 5-4.
He held for 6-5 and then, with Zverev serving to stay in the match, Alcaraz converted his first match point.
“I’m just really happy to have the opportunity to play my first final here in Melbourne,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something I strived for a lot, chased a lot and had the opportunity to fight for the title.”
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