Alexander Zverev on Carlos Alcaraz Australian Open defeat in five sets: ‘We both went to the limit’ | ATP tour | Tennis

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Zverev about Alcaraz Australian Open defeat in five sets: ‘We both went to the extreme’

German was looking for his fourth major final and first Slam title this weekend
January 30, 2026

So close and yet so far for Alexander Zverev in his quest for great glory. The third-seeded German was just three points away from defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open semi-final on Friday evening, but could not close it out as Alcaraz rallied from 3-5 in the fifth set to prevail.

In the aftermath of the five-hour, 27-minute defeat, the longest semi-final in tournament history, a weary Zverev reflected on his latest Grand Slam heartbreak.

“Incredible fight, fight. An unfortunate ending for me, but to be honest, I had absolutely nothing left in me,” Zverev said.

“To be honest, I think I’m way too tired to have any emotions at the moment, so in two days I’ll probably have more, but right now I’m just exhausted,” the German continued later. “I think we both pushed it to the limit, so to some extent I’m proud of myself too, the way I persevered and came back from two sets to love.

“Obviously it’s disappointing, but this is the beginning of the year, so if I keep playing like this, if I keep training the way I’m training, if I keep working on the things I’ve been working on in the offseason, I believe it’s going to be a good year for me.”

Zverev was chasing a fourth major final and a second consecutive Australian Open title match. After rallying from two sets down, the 28-year-old looked set to complete the comeback, handing Alcaraz just a second defeat in a fifth set.

The 28-year-old’s post-match regret, however, did not stem from his inability to serve out at 5-4, but from his lack of ruthlessness more than three hours earlier in the second set.

“The second set, that one, I felt like I should have won,” Zverev said. “Especially in terms of serving, I didn’t play a good game. Funnily enough, I don’t regret the fifth set much because, to be honest, I held on. I was exhausted. But the second set. I think an increase, since he was one set and he started cramping in the third set, would probably have made a difference.”

Alcaraz struggled with physical problems deep into the third set, but found a way to dig in during an exciting fifth set. The Spaniard now has a record of 15-1 in matches going the distance, but this was not a factor that Zverev was overly concerned about in the decider.

“I know my five-set record is pretty good too. But no, of course not,” Zverev said. “It’s not something you think about when you serve 5-4. I had other thoughts in my head. Actually, I didn’t want to fall over in the match.

“No, it’s not something I think about, but I know he’s fit. I know he’s very, very strong and difficult to beat in long matches. He proved that in Paris last year, I think, and also against Jannik. I always feel like I’m pretty good physically too.”

Alcaraz now leads Zverev 7-6 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and will face Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday.