Australian Open Semifinals丨Both Alcaraz and Zverev are determined to win without any margin for error

The two men’s singles semifinals at the 2026 Australian Open will be replayed tomorrow with full intensity. The tournament’s top four seeds—Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, and Djokovic—have all reached the semifinals, marking the first time since 2013 that the top four seeds have met at this stage. Setting aside the bottom half’s semifinal between former Australian Open champions Djokovic (ten-time champion) and Sinner (two-time defending champion), let's focus on the top half’s semifinal between Alcaraz and Zverev, both of whom have yet to claim an Australian Open title.

World No.1 and Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, after consecutive quarterfinal exits in 2024 and 2025, pushed himself harder and finally triumphed in straight sets over world No.6 and home favorite Australian De Minaur in the 2026 Australian Open quarterfinals, reaching his first Australian Open semifinal. This marks Alcaraz’s tenth appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal; in his previous nine, he won seven and lost two, and in finals, he holds a 6-1 record, capturing six Grand Slam titles.

World No.3, Germany’s powerhouse Zverev, has reached the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth time in his career and third consecutive year. He made the semifinals in 2020 and 2024, and in 2025 advanced to the final but was swept in straight sets by defending champion and Italian rising star Sinner, missing out on a Grand Slam title for the third time. In 2026, the resilient Zverev once again reached the semifinals for the third straight year. This is also Zverev’s tenth Grand Slam semifinal appearance; previously, he has a 3-6 record in semifinals and has lost all three finals, still chasing his first Grand Slam championship.

In the 2026 Australian Open semifinals, both Alcaraz and Zverev are determined to win and cannot afford any mistakes. Having already won two titles each at the US Open, Wimbledon, and French Open, Alcaraz is just one Australian Open title away from achieving the career Grand Slam. Facing his second chance (after last year) to complete this Grand Slam feat, Alcaraz cannot afford to falter at the semifinal stage.

Zverev, who has yet to win a Grand Slam title in his career, is eager and hungry for his first. Facing his tenth opportunity to claim a Grand Slam crown, Zverev certainly cannot miss this chance and is determined to win the semifinal to reach the Australian Open final for the second consecutive year.

After winning his third-round match and advancing to the round of 16 at the 2026 Australian Open, Zverev expressed his ambition in the press conference: “Currently, Alcaraz and Sinner dominate men’s tennis, having won eight consecutive Grand Slam titles over two years, but I hope this situation can change.” During the Shanghai Masters last October, Zverev voiced a similar hope in an interview with Germany’s Bild: “I know I can beat Alcaraz and Sinner. I have to regain confidence and believe that I can return to that level.”

Zverev has every reason for this confidence! Born in April 1997 and standing 1.98 meters tall, Zverev has “great physical attributes and strong abilities, with excellent first and second serves, and can produce beautiful shots from both forehand and backhand from the baseline,” as described by Spain’s tennis legend Nadal. Swiss great Federer also praised Zverev early in his career: “His serve and backhand are good, his forehand has significantly improved, and he plays aggressively. Undoubtedly, he will be a very tough opponent in the future.”

In the 2017 season, 20-year-old Zverev broke out. He defeated Serbian star Djokovic in the Rome Masters final to claim his first Masters title, entering the world top ten for the first time. Then in the Rogers Cup final in Canada, Zverev beat Swiss legend Federer to win his second Masters title. That year, he recorded 57 wins and 22 losses, won five titles in total, rose to world No.3 at one point, and finished the year ranked No.4.

In 2021, Zverev experienced his second career peak. With a 59-15 win-loss record, he won six titles—the most on tour—including the Madrid and Cincinnati Masters, the men’s singles gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the ATP Finals in Turin, reached the semifinals of the French Open and US Open, and finished the year ranked No.3.

The 2024 season marked Zverev’s third career surge. Posting a 69-21 record, he led his team to win the United Cup, bringing glory to his country, won two Masters titles in Rome and Paris, reached the Australian Open semifinals, was runner-up at the French Open, made the semifinals at the ATP Finals in Turin, and ended the year ranked No.2.

In 2025, Zverev’s performance declined somewhat. He only won one ATP 500 title in Munich, made his first Australian Open final but finished runner-up, reached the French Open quarterfinals, exited Wimbledon in the first round, and was stopped in the third round of the US Open. However, due to the outstanding results of Alcaraz and Sinner, who dominated the tour, Zverev still finished the year as world No.3.

Zverev’s confidence also stems from his head-to-head record with Alcaraz: they have met 12 times in their careers, each winning six matches, perfectly balanced. In Grand Slam tournaments, they have faced each other four times, splitting victories evenly. Notably, it was in the 2024 Australian Open quarterfinals that Zverev defeated Alcaraz, who was making his first quarterfinal appearance there, in four sets. Now, heading into the 2026 Australian Open semifinals, Zverev should hold some psychological advantage.

Tomorrow’s epic clash in the 2026 Australian Open semifinals will reveal whether Alcaraz will avenge his 2024 Australian Open quarterfinal loss and continue his winning streak, or if Zverev will seek revenge for his heartbreaking five-set defeat in the 2024 French Open final and restore his pride.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicai Doufen)