Alexander Zverev Reveals What He ‘Regrets the Most’ After Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in Australian Open Semifinal
Carlos Alcaraz has scheduled another blockbuster Grand Slam final against Novak Djokovic.
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Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Barstool Tennis)
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The match between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz ended in the latter’s favor, but it went down in the record books as the longest semifinal in the history of the Australian Open. With a scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5, Alcaraz booked a spot in the final of the Major Down Under for the first time in his career.
Alcaraz, in fact, made the last four in Melbourne for the first time in his career. It was, in fact, Zverev who knocked him out in the quarterfinals back in 2024. The win helped the 22-year-old improve his head-to-head record to 7-6. At the press conference after the loss, Zverev analyzed his performance and revealed what he regrets most about his performance.
I didn’t do a good job in the third and fourth sets. I should have won them more easily in a way, but he was making a lot of winners from the first shot of the point, so he couldn’t get into the rallies. I probably should have been a little more aggressive. Anyway, what I regret the most is probably not winning the second set, because I think that would have changed things. But thanks to that, we had a great battle.
After dashing Zverev’s hopes of winning his first Grand Slam title, Alcaraz made his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final. After losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals last year, the World No.1 upset Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, lost to the Italian in the Wimbledon final, and defended his US Open crown by defeating the World No.2.
Alexander Zverev on Carlos Alcaraz’s recovery from cramps
Carlos Alcaraz suffered from cramps during the third set and received a medical timeout for the same. This irked Alexander Zverev, who confronted the chair umpire about it, accusing the tournament of “protecting” Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. At the press conference, Zverev said Alcaraz gradually recovered by reducing his intensity after being hit by cramps.
He took about an hour and a half break during which he hardly moved at all, he laughs. Maybe I should have used that time better somehow. Maybe I should have won the games and sets a little faster, so that going into the fifth set, he wouldn’t have so much time to recover. But in the fifth set, the way he moved was incredible again.
To script history at Melbourne Park, the six-time Grand Slam champion will now have to go past the tournament’s most successful player, Novak Djokovic. The 10-time Australian Open champion finally defeated Jannik Sinner after five consecutive defeats in the second semifinal on Friday. The four-time Grand Slam champion was bidding to become the second man after the Serb to complete a three-peat at the Melbourne Slam. Djokovic improved his head-to-head record over Sinner to 5-6.
Against Alcaraz, the 38-year-old holds a 5-4 head-to-head edge. One of the wins that he registered was in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and since then, he hasn’t yet clinched a Big Title. Last year, Nole lifted two ATP 250 titles- the Geneva Open and the Hellenic Championship. Alcaraz lifted the most on the men’s tour last year- eight titles from 11 finals.
If Alcaraz beats the 24-time Grand Slam champion, he will become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam, surpassing Rafael Nadal‘s record. The 22-time Grand Slam champion achieved this after winning the 2010 US Open at the age of 24. The final is scheduled to be held on Sunday (February 1).
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