Written by Enitan Abdultawab
To defeat Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set marathon and advance to his first Australian Open final, Carlos Alcaraz mustered incredible physical and mental fortitude.
In a thrilling match that lasted five hours and twenty-seven minutes—the longest men’s semi-final in Australian Open history—the Spanish world number one won 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), and 7-5.
After winning the first two sets, Alcaraz appeared to be in control. However, the match took a drastic turn in the third when he started to cramp when serving at 4-4. To the annoyance of third seed Zverev, the 22-year-old needed a medical timeout due to his difficulty moving and serving.
The German took control of the match and forced a decisive fifth set, where he broke early and then served to win 5-4. However, Alcaraz made an incredible comeback while the Melbourne fans roared behind him.
After breaking Zverev to tie the set, he put constant pressure on the German while he served to keep the match alive at 6-5. Alcaraz collapsed to the court in shock as Zverev’s failed backhand sealed the match.
Alcaraz later remarked, “I always say you have to believe in yourself, no matter what.” Without the crowd, I wouldn’t be here. It was amazing how they forced me back into the game on each point.
Alcaraz is still on track to create history thanks to the victory. He would become the youngest man to ever complete a career Grand Slam if he wins the final on Sunday.
The only things preventing Alcaraz from facing Jannik Sinner in the Grand Slam final for the fourth time in a row are Novak Djokovic and his physical state. Later on Friday, Djokovic will take on world number two Sinner in an attempt to win a record 25th major singles championship.
