World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has advanced to his first-ever Australian Open final after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in an epic semi-final that lasted nearly five and a half hours. The victory keeps Alcaraz’s hopes alive for a historic career Grand Slam at just 22 years old.
The match, held at a packed Rod Laver Arena, concluded with a final score of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-7(4), 7-5.
A Battle of Wills
The match was a rollercoaster of momentum and physical endurance that lasted exactly five hours and 27 minutes, the longest semifinal in the tournaments history. Alcaraz looked set for a straightforward victory after claiming the first two sets, but Zverev, a finalist in 2025, showed a level of tennis we haven’t seen from him in quite a while. The German forced the match into a fifth set by winning consecutive tiebreaks, capitalising on an injury scare for Alcaraz midway through the third set.
In the deciding set, Zverev initially held a break of serve and led 5-4, coming within one game of the final. However, Alcaraz staged one of his famous late-match surges, winning the final three games to seal the win as the clock ticked close to 5 and a half hour.
A BATTLE ROYALE ?@carlosalcaraz outlasts Zverev in a battle lasting five hours and 27 minutes to reach his first @AustralianOpen final.#AO26 pic.twitter.com/a6SjWQHxCc
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 30, 2026
Chasing History
With this win, Alcaraz moves one step closer to becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam (winning all four major titles).
“One of the most physcially demanding matches I have played” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
Watch the highlights below:
Carlitos will now face either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final.