Carlos Alcaraz etched his name into Australian Open history Friday, powering past Alexander Zverev in a five-hour epic to secure his first-ever final berth at Melbourne Park.
The scoreline – 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 – barely captures the drama of a semifinal that swung wildly between the two titans. Alcaraz, no stranger to high-stakes battles, faced his sternest physical test yet when injury struck, forcing a timeout that ignited controversy.
Zverev, visibly agitated, clashed with umpires over the medical break, decrying it as unfair amid Alcaraz’s cramping issues. The German’s protests echoed through the arena as Alcaraz worked with trainers courtside.
Yet, the Spaniard rose above the chaos. After splitting the middle sets via tiebreaks, Alcaraz unleashed his trademark intensity in the fifth, breaking Zverev at crucial moments to seal the win after 5 hours and 27 minutes.
In his on-court interview, Alcaraz opened up about the mental grind: ‘You must trust yourself through everything – injuries, doubts, whatever. I knew what I had to do; I’ve fought these wars before. Passion got me through the fifth set.’
Awaiting in the final is either defending champion Djokovic or rising star Sinner. Triumph here would crown Alcaraz as the Open Era’s youngest career Grand Slam holder at 22.
As the curtain falls on this semifinal spectacle, Alcaraz’s journey from prodigy to finals contender underscores his evolution into a bona fide great. The tennis world holds its breath for Sunday’s showdown.
