MELBOURNE, Jan. 30 – Alexander Zverev expressed strong frustration over a medical timeout granted to Carlos Alcaraz during their intense Australian Open semifinal match on Friday, which turned into the tournament’s longest semifinal ever.
Controversial Timeout in Epic Battle
The world No. 1 Alcaraz appeared hampered in mobility during the third set at 4-4, prompting officials to permit treatment for an issue with his right thigh at the changeover. This decision visibly angered Zverev, who believed the problem was cramping—a condition typically ineligible for such interruptions.
Alcaraz subsequently lost the following two sets but regained his speed in the decisive fifth, securing a hard-fought victory with a score of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5. The match lasted five hours and 27 minutes, pushing both players to their physical limits.
Zverev’s Post-Match Reaction
In his press conference, the third-seeded German stated, “Yeah, I mean, he was cramping, so normally you can’t take a medical time-out for cramping.” He added, “What can I do? It’s not my decision. I didn’t like it, but it’s not my decision.”
During the treatment, Zverev confronted a match supervisor in heated German, later clarifying, “I just said it was bullshit, basically.” He observed that Alcaraz seemed limited in movement for a significant period, estimating it at about an hour and a half. “So again, maybe I should have used that better in a way. Maybe I should have won the games and won the sets a bit quicker,” Zverev reflected. “Then moving into the fifth, maybe he wouldn’t have had so much time to recover. But the fifth set, the way he was moving, was incredible again.”
Near-Miss for Zverev’s First Major
Last year’s runner-up to Jannik Sinner, Zverev had a chance to serve for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set but faltered as Alcaraz claimed the next three games. Still seeking his first Grand Slam title, Zverev voiced more regret over conceding the second set than his performance in the final frame.
“I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted,” he admitted, describing the encounter as likely the most demanding physical test of his career. “I think we both went to our absolute limits, so somewhat I’m also proud of myself the way I was hanging on and came back from two sets to love.”
Despite the disappointment, Zverev remained optimistic, noting, “Of course it’s disappointing but this is the start of the year, so if I continue playing that way, if I continue training the way I train, if I continue working on the things that I’ve been working in the offseason, I do believe it’s going to be a good year for me.”
