Carlos Alcaraz beats Alexander Zverev at Australian Open | ATP tour | Tennis

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Alcaraz survives Zverev in a record marathon of 5h27 and reaches the first Australian Open final

The world number 1 can complete Career Grand Slam by lifting the trophy in Melbourne
January 30, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz reached his first Australian Open final in dramatic fashion on Friday afternoon as he overcame physical problems and rallied from the edge to secure a marathon semi-final victory against Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, defeated world No. 3 Zverev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 after a pulsating five hours and 27 minutes at Rod Laver Arena, the longest semi-final in tournament history. After appearing to recover from the right leg injury that hampered him late in the third set, the Spaniard rallied from 3-5 down in the decider and collapsed to the ground in ecstasy after sealing his first final appearance in Melbourne. He will face Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic for the trophy on Sunday.

“Constantly believing,” Alcaraz said in his on-field interview when asked how he won the match. “I always say you have to believe in yourself, no matter if you’re struggling or what you’ve been through. Whatever, you still have to believe in yourself. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically it was one of the most demanding matches I’ve played in my short career.”

“I’ve been in situations like this and I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it and I fought until the last ball. I knew I was going to get my chances. I’m very proud of myself with the way I fought and came back in the fifth set.”

A BATTLE ROYALE🫡@carlosalcaraz outlasts Zverev in a fight lasting five hours and 27 minutes to achieve his first @AustraliaOpen final.#AO26 pic.twitter.com/a6SjWQHxCc

— ATP tour (@atptour) January 30, 2026

With his win, Alcaraz moved to within one win and became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam (winning the singles title at all four majors). However, between Alcaraz and that piece of history is a heavyweight showdown with one of his great rivals. Sinner, world number 2, is a two-time defending champion at Melbourne Park, while Djokovic has a record 10 Australian Open title wins.

Alcaraz is the youngest man in the Open Era to reach the finals of all four majors and the 22-year-old Spaniard can now take on Sinner in a fourth consecutive major title fight. In his eighth major match in the championship, the top seed will look for his seventh major on Sunday.

“I am very happy to play my first final in Melbourne,” said Alcaraz. “It was something that I strived for a lot, pursued a lot. To have the opportunity to fight for the title. I think it’s been a great tournament so far and my level is rising tremendously. But one thing I think I’m going to say is that I couldn’t be here right now doing this interview without [the fans]. It was a pleasure to play for all of you. The way you pushed me back into the game… I’m very grateful for the support.”

Alcaraz won 78 percent (35/45) of points at the net during his epic victory, according to Infosys Stats. The 22-year-old is now 15-1 in fifth sets, while he has also taken a 7-6 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev. Meanwhile, Friday’s painful defeat means that 28-year-old Zverev is still in the hunt for his first Grand Slam title. The German, who was just three points away from victory, was aiming to reach his fourth slam final and second consecutive victory in Melbourne.

Alcaraz, who had not dropped a set in his first five matches in Melbourne, looked on course to maintain his perfect run after opening a two-set lead against Zverev. The best player produced typically stylish tennis when he needed it most, especially when he rallied from 2-5 to take the second set.

It was at 4-4, 15/15 in the third set when the real drama began. Alcaraz appeared to be improving and was struggling with an injury to his right upper leg when serving at 4-4 in the third set. He was treated twice by the tournament physio and could not stop Zverev from returning to the match.

Alcaraz’s approach of playing ultra-aggressive to shorten the rallies was competitive, but it didn’t seem to be enough. Zverev broke his opponent’s serve in the opening game of the deciding set and after fending off five break points in three of his service games, he soon served for the match at 5-4.

Then came Alcaraz’s barely believable comeback. The Spaniard was able to move freely again and played four matches in a row to stun his rival and become the youngest man to reach the final of all four Grand Slams. On match point, Alcaraz delivered a forehand pass low into the advancing Zverev, before falling on his back in ecstasy as the German’s volley fell into the net.