The men’s singles semi-finals of the Australian Open (Australia/Melbourne, Hard, Grand Slam) tennis tournament was held on the 30th, and first seed Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) defeated third seed Alan Zverev (Germany) in a full set, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, in a match lasting over five hours, advancing to the tournament’s first final. He appeared at the post-match press conference with injuries all over his body and said, “It was one of the toughest matches of my career.”
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Alcaraz, 22 years old and ranked No. 1 in the world, is participating in the tournament for the third consecutive year and for the fifth time. His best results were in the top eight in 2024 and last year, and in this tournament he aims to not only win his first Australian Open, but also become the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
In the first set of the semi-finals, Alcaraz succeeded in breaking once and took the lead. Although he was broken early in the second set, he broke back in the 9th game when Zverev served for the set and caught up, winning the tiebreak and making it two setups.
In the third set, with the game count 4-4, with both players holding service games, Alcaraz’s right foot felt strange. He showed symptoms similar to convulsions and was given a medical timeout, but his performance deteriorated significantly and Zverev forced him to take two sets all up going into the final set.
Alcaraz was the first to break in the first game of the final set, but was able to break back in the 10th game when Zverev served for the match. With the audience in a competitive mood, they got a break in the following 12th game and won the 5-hour, 27-minute battle to the death.
Alcaraz, who appeared at a press conference with injuries all over his body, commented, “I think it was one of the toughest matches of my career so far. Today we pushed each other to the limit. We pushed our bodies to the limit, and the level especially in the final set was really, really high. That’s why I’m really, really happy that we came from behind to win. This match will rank among the best matches I’ve ever won.”
Asked if he had considered withdrawing after experiencing cramp-like symptoms in the middle of the third set, Alcaraz answered, “Not at all.” “Give up” was not an option for him.
“I really hate giving up. I want to avoid that feeling somehow. I never want to feel that feeling. Sometimes I have moments where I feel like I’m giving up, like I’m not fighting at all. When I was young, there were so many matches where I didn’t want to fight anymore and gave up. But as I grew older, I ended up hating that feeling. When I think, “I can still do it,” “I can do a little bit more,” and “I can endure a little more,” those feelings and thoughts drive me. If I take even one step, struggle for even one second, I will always be rewarded. That’s why I will keep fighting until the last ball, and I believe that I can recover no matter the situation.”
Alcaraz, who won, will face No. 4 seed N. Djokovic (Serbia) in the final for his first Australian Open title. Djokovic came from behind to defeat second seed J. Sinner (Italy) in the semi-finals.
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