Alcaraz fights through cramps to reach his first Australian Open final
Carlos Alcaraz dragged himself into his first Australian Open final after a five-hour, 27-minute epic against Alexander Zverev that swung wildly between brilliance, physical collapse and open fury at the officials.
The world number one eventually won 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 in the Rod Laver Arena, surviving severe cramp and saving himself just when defeat looked inevitable. The scoreline barely captures how close Alcaraz came to falling short after dominating early and then barely being able to move midway through the match.
Alcaraz was cruising with a two-set lead when his body suddenly gave way at 4-4 in the third set. He struggled to serve, massaged his right thigh between points and appeared close to collapse. A medical timeout followed, triggering an angry response from Zverev, who argued that cramp should not qualify for treatment. “He has cramp!” Zverev shouted at officials. “He can’t take a medical, he is cramping… This is absolute bulls---. This is unbelievable.”
The German’s frustration only grew as Alcaraz stayed on court, drank pickle juice and slowly regained enough movement to extend the match. Zverev went on to take the third and fourth sets in tie-breaks and then broke early in the fifth, later serving for the match at 5-4.
But with the crowd firmly behind him, Alcaraz produced a stunning turnaround. He broke back, lifted his level and exposed Zverev’s nerves, sealing victory when the German missed a backhand at 6-5. “I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what,” Alcaraz said. “I couldn't be here right now without these guys [the crowd]. The way you pushed me back into the match on every point is crazy.”
The match has reignited debate over medical timeouts. Under the rules, cramp is considered a loss of physical condition rather than an injury, though the line can be blurred in practice. Zverev later said he was unhappy but tried to shift focus away from the dispute. “He was cramping. Normally you can't take a medical timeout for cramping. But what can I do? It's not my decision,” he said. “I think this is one of the best battles there ever was in Australia. It doesn't deserve to be the topic.”
Commentator Boris Becker suggested Zverev felt Alcaraz, and rival Jannik Sinner, benefit from leniency. “Anyone would have freaked out in that situation,” Becker said, adding that it was “a grey area” in the rules.
Despite barely running late in the third set, Alcaraz finished with 78 winners, leaning on aggressive shot-making and sheer belief. He repeatedly told himself “little by little, Charly, vamos” as he searched for energy, eventually moving freely again late in the decider.
Zverev, who played at a high level throughout, admitted he ran out of gas when it mattered most. “Unbelievable battle. Unfortunate ending for me,” he said. “Even at 5-4… my legs stopped pushing upwards. That's the way it is. This is life. We move on.”
The win keeps alive Alcaraz’s shot at history. Victory in Sunday’s final would make the 22-year-old the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam. Standing in his way will be either Novak Djokovic, chasing a record 25th major, or defending champion Jannik Sinner.
