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Carlos Alcaraz reaches his first Australian Open final after winning record semi-final against Alexander Zverev

Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 in a record semi-final at the Australian Open that lasted a whopping five hours and 27 minutes.

3 min readUpdated: Jan 30, 2026 03:44 PM IST

Carlos Alcaraz was stricken with what looked like cramps halfway through the match which brought Zverev into it. (AP Photo)

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the Australian Open final for the first time in his career after beating German third seed Alexander Zverev in an epic semi-final that lasted 5 hours 27 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena. In a match in which momentum swung one way and another, Alcaraz prevailed 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5. Alcaraz, 22, is looking to become the youngest male player to win a Career Grand Slam and will face either his rival Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam winner Novaj Djokovic in the final.

Alcaraz was within a game of sealing victory at 4-4 in the third set when he started cramping. It resulted in him struggling to move, returning serves with hardly any foot movement at all. He took on fluids and received massages, including in a controversial medical timeout opposed by Zverev.

Although Zverev had his moments, Alcaraz was well ahead before he started having issues with his leg. This was typified in the second set, in which Zverev built up a 5-2 lead, only for Alcaraz to come roaring back to make it 5-5. The set was pushed to the first tie-break of the match which Alcaraz won 7-5.

Once he started having trouble with his thigh in the third set, Alcaraz switched between big-hitting and drop shots to go 5-4 up before taking a medical timeout that left Zverev infuriated. The German called for a supervisor and stated that his opponent cannot be allowed to take a time out for cramps according to rules.

Zverev was infuriated by Alcaraz taking a medical timeout for what the German said was cramps. (AP Photo)

Alcaraz soldiered on, holding to go up 6-5 and taking a big swig of pickle juice before giving it his all in the ensuing tiebreak, but Zverev showed no mercy and pulled back a set. With his movement slowly improving, Alcaraz pumped his fists to roaring applause after vital holds in the fourth set to force another tiebreak, where Zverev stepped up his serving game to ensure a deciding fifth set.

Third seed Zverev broke for an early lead but Alcaraz began to look like his usual self again as he chased down a drop shot at the net and pulled off a stunning winner at full stretch in the sixth game to give his fans hope. Alcaraz finally broke in the 10th game as Rod Laver Arena shook, before sealing an epic win in the first five-sets match on centre court this year.