Nine and a half hours is a long time to do anything. It’s long enough to fly from the Australian Open in Melbourne to Bangkok, Singapore, KL, Vietnam, Bali, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Colombo or New Zealand; there and back with time to spare. It is also, how long it took to decide two men’s semi-finals at the Australian Open in 2026.
The first semi-final, between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, lasted five hours and 27 minutes, making it the longest semi-final in Australian Open history. Alcaraz began in total control, going up two sets to love, which is a very strong position to be in, until he suddenly felt a twinge in his right adductor.
The physio declared he should take a medical time out and administered “Pickle Juice”, which is to be well- known in playing circles to be for cramps. In tennis, players may be treated for an injury but not for cramps. This sparked further drama, with Alcaraz repeatedly pushing the limits of the shot clock — the 30-second on-court timer that requires players to begin the next point before it reaches zero.
On the other side of the net, Zverev was openly questioning the legitimacy of the medical timeout, directing heated appeals to the umpire, the tournament supervisor, and his own team. “I didn’t like it, but it’s not my decision. I just said it was bulls**t, basically,” said Zverev.
In the aftermath, he reflected on the missed opportunity to close out the match while Alcaraz was struggling. “Maybe I should have used that better in a way. Maybe I should have won the games and won the sets a bit quicker,” said Zverev. “But by the fifth set, the way he was moving was incredible again.”
Alcaraz eventually edged out Zverev, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5
The second semi-final, between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, was a little shorter, at four hours. Djokovic went into the match having not beaten Sinner in over two years, with the Italian winning their last five meetings. He also arrived in the semi-finals under unusual circumstances. In the round of 16, his opponent withdrew, and in the quarter-finals, Lorenzo Musetti, also withdrew despite holding a two-set to love lead.
Some former players courtside suggested that their decision to play exhibition events in the lead-up to the Australian Open may have left them less than fully prepared for Melbourne’s punishing heat.
Djokovic himself appeared stunned and admitted to the AO crowd that he should have been packing his bags.
Sinner had also battled cramping earlier in the tournament, raising questions not only about his fitness heading into the semi-final against Djokovic, but about the preparation of both he and Alcaraz more broadly.
In the end, Djokovic prevailed, defeating Sinner 3–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 to reach the Australian Open final, where he would once again contend for a record-extending 11th title.
The final itself brought everything full circle. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, completing his career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. After the match, Alcaraz shared an emotional moment with Rafael Nadal, whose presence made the occasion even more meaningful.
“It was a very special moment to hug Rafa with the trophy in my hand,” said Alcaraz.
“Having Rafa watching the match made the day even more special. The fact that Rafa congratulates me and is happy for my successes and for me reflects what a wonderful person he is.”
For Alcaraz, completing his career Grand Slam with Nadal looking on carried particular weight; not just as a personal milestone, but as a symbolic passing of the torch between generations of Spanish champions.
