Alcaraz beats Zverev in 5-hour thriller and cramps, first AO final – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro Friday, January 30, 2026
Photo credit: Phil Walter/Getty
Rushing from one sideline to the other, Carlos Alcaraz A final forehand flash capped an astonishing journey from agony to ecstasy.
On match point, Alcaraz hit a running forehand down the baseline and collapsed on the blue court like a man jumping into a swimming pool to reach his first Australian Open final in a match of epic proportions.
A brave Alcaraz overcame an apparent cramp mid-match, which saw him vomit on the towel twice, to fight back from 3-5 down in the deciding set and fight back in four straight games. Alexander Zverev Won the Melbourne Marathon semi-final 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5.
The epic match, which lasted 5 hours and 27 minutes, was the second longest Grand Slam semi-final in the history of the Open Era.
It will live forever as a game.
Alcaraz was hobbled by leg cramps and struggled for long periods in the third set before gradually regaining his strength in the fourth.
By the time he hit his final forehand, the 22-year-old Spaniard was already flying – and the AO fans cheered loudly, paying tribute to the courage and perseverance both men had put into this match.
How did the tenacious Alcaraz pull off such a thrilling comeback in the third-longest AO match in history?
“Believe. Always believe,” Alcaraz told Hall of Famer Jim Courier during an on-court interview. “I always say you have to believe in yourself, no matter what struggles you go through, no matter what happens, you still have to always believe in yourself.
“I struggled in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most physically demanding matches I’ve played in my short career.
“I’ve been in these types of matches before, so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart and soul into the match. I think I did that. I fought right up to the lat ball. I’m very proud of the way I fought and the way I fought back in the fifth set.”
The 22-year-old Spanish superstar continues his pursuit of becoming the youngest person in history to complete a career Grand Slam and will face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner or Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final.
This is Alcaraz’s first appearance in the Melbourne Park final. He is the 12th player in the history of the Open Era and the youngest player to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The question is: How will Alcaraz handle a grueling physical test when he’s swigging pickle juice and getting leg massages to combat cramps during the changeover?
“I’m really excited to be playing my first final in Melbourne. I’ve been chasing the chance to compete for the title. I think it’s been a great two weeks so far. I think my level has been great. I have to say I couldn’t be here right now without these guys. [the crowd].
“It’s been a real honor for me to play in front of all of you. The way you push me back into the game. The way you push me every time. It’s crazy. I’m really grateful for the support I’ve received not only in this game but throughout the game. I can’t wait. Now my mind is recovering as much as I can to stay in good shape to give you a great show and I think I’ll see you guys on Sunday.”
Think of Zverev, who fought valiantly and was on the verge of reaching his second straight AO final, while Alcaraz faltered and was on the verge of elimination.
“Incredible fight, fight. It ended unfortunately for me, but to be honest, there’s absolutely nothing left in me,” Zverev said. “Even at 5-4, you know usually I can rely more on my serve. My legs aren’t pushing up anymore, so yeah, that’s what it is. That’s life. We move on.”
The 2025 finalist broke serve first in the deciding set, beating Alcaraz on a forehand duel to save a break point to make it 5-3 before moving into the final at 5-4.
Ultimately, Alcaraz’s forehand rocked the German in the final three games, and Zverev blinked and lost serve in the 15th game as he led 5-4 in the final.
A new-look Alcaraz raised his arms to the sky like a boxer exhorting the packed Rod Laver Arena crowd to make more noise.
Riding that energy, Alcaraz raised his game, scoring 13 of the final 18 points to complete a stunning comeback.
At times, both men showed signs of frustration in the first set.
Zverev sent some of his header rackets to be re-strung. In the ninth game, the German’s nerves grew even more intense and he essentially collapsed.
The third seed double faulted twice, including on break point, to lead Alcaraz 5-4. It was an untimely error for the German, who had held serve in two of his first three games.
Alcaraz held serve for the first time with his first love, grabbing a set lead when a jittery Zverev slammed a forehand wide.
The world number one hit 80% of his serves and won 17 of 20 first-serve points in the first set.
With a set lead, Alcaraz showed off his court creativity and shooting brilliance in the fourth game of the second set. In a head-to-head clash at the net, Alcaraz hit a forehand volley winner and then a brilliant short-hop forehand flick winner to tie the game at 2.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist hit his fourth ace on the 15th hole to take a 3-2 lead.
Zverev made his move in the sixth game. Zverev was on target quickly, hitting Alcaraz’s sharp volley and making three breaks from the baseline. Alcaraz saved two break points, but on the third break point the Spaniard retreated with a long forehand pass. Zverev broke serve at 4-2 and then hit a forehand high volley, helping him lock the score at 5-2.
Leading 5-3 in the second set, Zverev failed to win a serve. Alcaraz’s series of second serves cost him, and his backhand burned to bring the score to 4-5.
The third seed erased two break points – ending a 17-shot rally with a forehand to the sideline and scorching the center line with an ace – to win the hard-fought 6-5.
In the early stages of the second-set decider, neither man was able to complete a small break.
Alcaraz, sensing that his 6-foot-6 opponent might be frail in the 86-degree heat, landed two consecutive lobs to take a 4-3 lead in the decider.
The two sides reached a deadlock, and after 5 draws, Zverev passed the ball back to Alcaraz. The Spaniard scooped the ball away and allowed Zverev to volley over. Zverev made a serious error on a backhand volley, giving the top seed a set point.
Alcaraz stepped up the tempo on his forehand and ended the match with a cross-court forehand.
One problem for Zverev: Alcaraz’s forehand got bigger and bigger as the match went on. A bigger problem for the German: Alcaraz leads two sets with a 59-0 record in the main event.
The six-time Grand Slam champion won 11 consecutive service games to lead 3-2 in the third set.
In the ensuing transition, Alcaraz twice vomited onto the towel.
When the serve went four, Alcaraz was hunched over and appeared to be battling leg cramps. The world number one crouched down and grabbed his leg, looking hurt. Alcaraz, whose legs were shaking between points, limped to the free throw line and continued to serve, even though he lacked much leg lift when serving.
“Why don’t you start the clock after 15 seconds,” Zverev, angry over a timing violation earlier in the match, asked referee Marijana Veljović.
Despite apparent cramping, the Spaniard led 5-4 before taking a three-minute medical timeout while his coach massaged his right leg.
A furious Zverev scolded supervisors who protested the medical suspension.
“What a bastard,” Zverev growled to his supervisor, protesting the medical timeout, which should not be used to treat spasticity.
“I mean, he had cramps, so normally you can’t take a medical timeout for cramps, yeah,” Zverev said later. “What can I do? It’s not my decision. I don’t like it, but it’s not my decision.”
Remarkably, Alcaraz made the most of every second on the service clock before serving, but his legs looked like licorice, but he still managed to hold on.
When Zverev served at 5-6 and Love at -30, the top seed was two points away from victory. At 15-30, Zverev went all-in on a big second serve, and Alcaraz almost missed a forehand return. If he hits the shot, the U.S. Open champion will have two match points. On the contrary, Zverev kept 6 draws.
A hobbled Alcaraz tried to shorten the scoring but missed two consecutive forehands. Zverev then hit a lob winner to lead 5-2 in the decider.
The 28-year-old German player hit an ace to win the third set decider.
Alcaraz, sipping pickle juice during the change of balls, slowly began to recover in the fourth set. The Spaniard fought to hold serve from Love-30 three times, including a forehand pass that tied the fourth set at 5.
Alcaraz tried to smile his way out of the situation, hitting an ace from the outside to save his love and force a fourth-set decider four hours later.
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In the players’ gym, ten-time AO champion Novak Djokovic paused his pregame stretching exercises and stood to watch the action unfold.
Zverev played calmly and continued to attack aggressively without taking unnecessary risks as Alcaraz continued his recovery.
Zverev looked stronger and more determined in front of the net. The lanky Zverev received the thrower and used his wide wingspan to deflect a forehand volley for a mini-break and a 2-1 lead in the decider. Alcaraz’s backhand hit the net, and Zverev got the set point 6-4.
On his first set point, Zverev stepped up and hit a cross-court forehand winner to send the game into the fifth set, which lasted 4 hours and 7 minutes.
It was the first five-set match of the tournament at Rod Laver Arena.
Four hours and 15 minutes into this epic match, Alcaraz double-faulted to break serve, giving the German a 1-0 lead and his first lead of the day. Zverev broke serve after 15 points and led 2-0 in the fifth set.
Although Alcaraz was almost at full strength, his forehand failed when needed against Zverev’s audacious serve. After squandering a 40-0 lead, Zverev saved two break points with bravery and a huge second serve that his opponent couldn’t handle. Zverev seized the opportunity to serve in the midfield and expanded the score to 3-1 in nearly 13 minutes.
While Alcaraz had one of the biggest forehands of the game, it was Zverev’s that was erratic at times and most damaging at key points.
In the eighth game, Alcaraz won two break points to regain serve, but ended the 14-shot battle with a backhand into the net, then hit the ball wide with a fierce forehand on the second break point.
In a full-court sprint, Zverev absolutely rocketed to the line with a forehand – hitting the ball at 98 miles per hour to seal the score at 5-3 after five hours and six minutes of action.
Zverev had momentum, but Alcaraz seized his moment.
With Zverev leading 5-4 in the final, Alcaraz opened the match with a clean backhand pass and ended it with a line shot that sent the fans into a frenzy.
“I know my five-set record is pretty good, too,” Zverev said. “It’s not something you imagine with 5-4 servings.
“I had other things on my mind. You know, basically I didn’t want to fall during the game. No, it wasn’t something I was thinking about, but, yeah, I knew he was healthy and I knew he was very, very strong and hard to beat.”
Beaten in a long game. I think he showed that in Paris last year and also against Jannik. “
Alcaraz hit a lob and added his 14th forehand winner to make it 6-5, and Zverev’s entire coaching bench, including brother Misha and father Alexander, were shifting uncomfortably in their seats as if it felt like nothing could stop the Spaniard’s confident power.
Although Zverev had game point to force the match into a final decider, he hit a forehand deep but badly botched a forehand wide when faced with match point. Alcaraz intercepted a wide-side serve, sprinted to the opposite sideline, and tipped a forehand pass down the court to reach his eighth Grand Slam final.
Alcaraz tapped his heart with the palm of his hand as he spent five-and-a-half hours devoting himself to this semi-final before pointing out that the fans had shared the moment with their Melbourne fans.
