Sports · 30 January 2026
Injured Alcaraz beats Zverev in epic five-set Australian Open semifinal
Like tears in rain via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Battling injury, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in a grueling five-set Australian Open semifinal. This victory propels Alcaraz into the final, where he awaits the winner of the Novak Djokovic versus Jannik Sinner match. The result marks a significant turnaround from the 2025 tournament, where Djokovic eliminated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals before retiring against Zverev in the semifinals. Alcaraz previously defeated Zverev to claim the 2024 French Open title.
Reported by The Athletic (NYT) · How we write briefs