The scene was tense even before the Australian Open classics commenced.
Alex Zverev expressed his frustration with tournament officials after they permitted Carlos Alcaraz to take a medical timeout during the third set of their semi-final match. This was after Alcaraz seemed to be suffering from cramps, yet he managed to win the match in five sets.
Alcaraz was seen rubbing his right thigh and appeared to struggle on the court at points.
Nevertheless, medical time-outs aren’t usually authorized for cramping issues alone.
Zverev’s anger was evident as he referred to officials with some harsh language during his outburst, largely in German.
“He was convulsing,” Zverev commented afterward to reporters, acknowledging his discontent. “Typically, you can’t request a medical timeout for cramps. But, well, what can I do? It’s not up to me.”
As for Alcaraz, he said he initially didn’t believe it was a seizure. He mentioned that he didn’t completely understand what was going on. “I just told my trainer about the issue, and he would decide if we needed to take a timeout,” Alcaraz explained.
“My left leg was okay—decent, really—but it had me stressed, not knowing if things would get worse,” Alcaraz added. At that moment, he was down in two sets yet was leading 5-4 in the third set, just a game away from advancing to the finals.
Despite the drama, Zverev came back strongly, taking the third and fourth sets in tiebreaks. After over four hours, they approached the pivotal fifth set. This was indeed the first time in 2026 that a five-set match took place on center court.
Though Alcaraz struggled at the start of the fifth set and dropped his serve, he managed to keep pace with Zverev, even having five break point opportunities but failing to convert them.
At 5-4 in the fifth, Zverev was set to serve for the match, but Alcaraz broke back and won the next two games, clinching an unforgettable victory after five hours and 27 minutes of play.
Reflecting on the earlier tension, Zverev remarked, “Honestly, that was 17 hours ago. I don’t quite remember. I’m sure it’s on video somewhere. But right now, I’d prefer not to discuss it. It was an incredible match, one of the greatest in Australian Open history.”
Next, Alcaraz is set to face either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on Sunday morning.
