By Richard Pagliaro Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Image source: Australian Open Facebook
Carlos Alcaraz He focused on his ferocity in his first Australian Open semifinal.
World No. 1 Alcaraz wins 12 of last 15 matches to defeat Australia Alex de Minaur’s AO Dream suffered a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 defeat at Rod Laver Arena.
It was Alcaraz’s first top-10 win at Melbourne Park, sending him into his first AO semifinal.
“I’ve been trying to focus. Not having ups and downs in the game is one of my best goals, or one of my main goals, and I just try to do that every practice,” Alcaraz said. “If I practice for two hours, two-and-a-half hours, play a game or play against another player, I’m just trying to play at the same level and maintain the same focus, you know, bit by bit.
“I think the work paid off, I had a good mentality and a lot of focus throughout the tournament and I was very proud to see all the hard work pay off.”
Sixth-seeded De Minaur lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open last September, his seventh Grand Slam quarter-final defeat. De Minaur is the third man in the Open era, second only to Andrei Rublev and Tommy Robredolosing his first seven Grand Slam quarterfinals.
De Minaur described Alcaraz’s level as “surprisingly good”, saying the Spaniard’s ferocious spin gave him the power and control the Australian lacked.
“I mean, there’s a lot of risk for me to play at very high ball speeds, and I feel like, you know, some of my players, in this case, your Giannis or Carlos, they have so much spin on the ball that they’re not only able to play at a higher speed,” DeMinaur said. “But there’s also a consistency to it because
They are able to get spin, help the ball drop and create different angles.
“Yes, there are things I need to watch and observe and try to work out, but, yes, that’s how it is.”
Alcaraz continues pursuit of becoming youngest man in history to complete career Grand Slam Alexander Zverev Compete for your place in Sunday’s final.
Zverev ranks among the best among 20-year-old players with his excellent serve and excellent baseline groundstrokes learner field He advanced to the Grand Slam semifinals for the tenth time in his career with a score of 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-6(3) in an exciting match.
The third-seeded Zverev hit 24 aces on a double fault, hitting 72% of his serve, and saved all three break points he faced, continuing his winning streak on serve. Zverev said his serve and the first shot after serving were key components in advancing to his fourth AO semifinal.
Former Olympic gold medalist Zverev defeated Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open. The six-time Grand Slam champion vowed before the semi-final rematch.
“I watched him play throughout the tournament and his level was impressive
It’s going to be a great fight so far,” Alcaraz said. “I know he’s serving really well. When he’s able to attack from the baseline, he’s very solid and aggressive.
“I’ll definitely be ready. I’m excited to play him in the AO in the semifinals. So I know what I have to do. I’ll be well prepared for that game and yes, if he wants to beat me, he’s got to sweat a lot.”
The two have met six times before, with Alcaraz winning 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in the last important meeting at the 2024 French Open final.
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Zverev continues to chase his first Grand Slam title and believes he is reaching the level to achieve it in Australia.
“I’ve been working on my game. I’ve been working on my aggressive game,” Zverev said. “I’ve been talking about
it. I worked on my first shot after the serve, you know, my first forehand after the serve and maybe a few more serves and volleys.
“If these things work for me, then I think success will come too.”
