Carlos Alcaraz survived a leg scare, two lost tiebreakers and nearly five and a half hours of relentless pressure to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 on Friday, reaching his first Australian Open final and keeping his career Grand Slam dream alive.
The 22-year-old Spaniard was pushed to the brink in the longest men’s semifinal in tournament history, 5 hours, 27 minutes, digging deep after appearing seriously hampered midway through the match.
Alcaraz began struggling at 4-4 in the third set, his movement visibly restricted as he lost the set in a tiebreaker and fought to stay competitive.
With his legs compromised, Alcaraz leaned on sheer will and precision, mixing fearless ball striking with razor-sharp placement to keep Zverev from taking control.
He absorbed wave after wave of pressure, steadied himself in crucial moments and eventually edged the deciding fifth set to seal a victory built as much on belief as brilliance.
“I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what you’re struggling with,” Alcaraz said. “Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches I’ve ever played. But I’ve been in this situation before. I had to put my heart into the match, fight until the last ball, and I did.”
The match began under clear skies at Rod Laver Arena with both players holding serve through the opening stretch.
Alcaraz capitalized when Zverev double-faulted to hand him the first break, then closed out the opening set with a love hold.
Zverev responded in the second, building a 5-2 lead as Alcaraz sprayed uncharacteristic errors, only for the Spaniard to claw back behind a scorching backhand and dominate the tiebreaker.
Momentum shifted again in the third.
Alcaraz reached 4-4 before discomfort in his right thigh became evident.
After edging ahead 5-4, he took a medical timeout, drawing a heated protest from Zverev to the chair umpire over whether treatment should be allowed.
The issue remained unclear, but Zverev seized the tiebreaker to pull level.
Alcaraz showed grit to force another tiebreaker in the fourth set, pumping his fists to a roaring crowd as his movement gradually improved. Zverev, however, raised his serving level to send the contest into a fifth set.
Zverev struck first in the decider, breaking early, but Alcaraz slowly rediscovered his rhythm.
A full-stretch winner at the net reignited the stadium, and the Spaniard finally broke in the 10th game as Rod Laver Arena erupted.
Moments later, he closed out an epic victory in the first five-set match played on center court this year.
Alcaraz will now attempt to recover for Sunday’s final against either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner.
Victory would complete his collection of all four Grand Slam titles, a feat few have achieved at such a young age.
“I couldn’t be here without the fans,” Alcaraz said. “This is something I’ve been chasing for a long time, the chance to fight for the title in Melbourne.”
