Australian Open 2026: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alexander Zverev in an epic match to reach the final

Carlos Alcaraz, who was suffering from cramps, had to draw on all his physical and mental reserves to come back from the brink and defeat Alexander Zverev to reach his first Australian Open final.

Spaniard Alcaraz advanced 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 after five exciting hours and 27 minutes, but the result hardly indicates the drama that occurred in Melbourne.

Alcaraz won the first two sets and was on his way to the front when he suddenly retreated, while leading 4-4 ​​in the third set, and was no longer able to serve or move.

The world number one took a medical break – which left third seed Zverev angry – and he looked a shadow of his former self when he forced his German opponent to take a deciding decision.

Zverev broke his opponent’s serve early in the fifth set and served to win the match, the score 5-4, before Alcaraz was able to achieve a difficult comeback.

Supported by the crowd, Alcaraz broke to take the match back and then took advantage of a nervous Zverev, serving the German 6-5 down in an attempt to force a ten-point tiebreak.

Alcaraz fell to the ground in complete disbelief as Zverev missed a backhand to send him to Sunday’s final.

The victory keeps alive the 22-year-old’s bid to write more tennis history – if he wins on Sunday, he will become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.

Only Novak Djokovic – and Alcaraz’s physical condition – now stand in the way of a fourth successive Grand Slam final between the Spaniard and Jannik Sinner.

Serbian Djokovic, seeking to win a record 25th major championship title, will face world number two Sinner later on Friday.