Alexander Zverev’s search for a first Grand Slam title goes on after losing his semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.
Alcaraz needed all five sets to get past Zverev at Rod Laver Arena, where he’ll now return for a final against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic. It finished 6-4, 7-6(7-5), 6-7(3-7), 6-7(4-7), 7-5 – a match that broke the record for the longest semi-final in Australian Open history.
The crowd watched on for five hours and 27 minutes of drama. Alcaraz even battled through cramps during the marathon match, adding another layer to an already wild atmosphere inside Rod Laver Arena.
Alcaraz had received treatment for cramping during the second set tie-break, which added even more tension to an already dramatic finish.
Australian Open defeat to Carlos Alcaraz draws criticism for Alexander Zverev
Alcaraz will now prepare for his first Australian Open final, while Zverev is once again left to reflect on another missed chance at a major title.
TNT Sports pundit Jamie Murray weighed in on Zverev’s approach: “I don’t think Zverev went about the situation in terms of how he went about exploiting Alcaraz’s deficiencies in that moment.
“He didn’t put his foot on the gas and really take it to him and say, I have been given a gift from the Gods and I am going to make the most of it.
“He didn’t really play his way into the match. It was just the fact that Alcaraz was really struggling that the scores turned. But it’s only for him to understand why he went about his tennis in that way in that moment.”
Tim Henman also noticed flaws in how Zverev handled things: “I think when Alcaraz is struggling so much we were watching and you are thinking how should Zverev be playing? You are thinking he has to make him move.
“But he kept serving to his forehand and Alcaraz is just standing there having big cuts. He was never going back behind.
“He did play a couple of drop shots. But Alcaraz didn’t want to run. And once he got that third set it gave Zverev a bit of breathing room and then it was a bit more of a chess game as to how quickly Alcaraz could recover.”
Coco Vandeweghe was surprised by how cautious Zverev became later on: “I could not believe how passive Zverev was in the third set moving into the fourth.
“When you see someone struggling that much and as players we have all seen that and thought if I just push them a bit more maybe they will pull the rip cord.
“We know Alcaraz has unbelievable belief, he showed it today. But for Sascha I think he could have gone about the next two sets where it gives Carlos no life.
Henman finished by pointing out: “And on top of that you don’t give the crowd any life. You silence the crowd, you silence Carlos and we could be talking about a very different situation right now.”
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev: What separates the two after epic semi-final
The Australian Open semi-final had a little bit of everything and put both players under the microscope.
One thing that stood out was Alcaraz’s resilience, refusing to give in even when he was clearly struggling physically.
Zverev grew frustrated by the Spaniard’s cramping, but Alcaraz managed to stay composed and focused throughout.
He even fed off the energy of the Rod Laver Arena crowd at key moments, especially when he looked in trouble.
Zverev gave everything he had over five sets, but it was Alcaraz who showed why he’s already a six-time Grand Slam winner at just 22.
Meanwhile, Zverev’s struggles in major finals continued. He’s now lost all three Grand Slam finals he’s played so far.
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