AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 30, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Zverev

6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Carlitos. Where do you rank this incredible win among your best wins in your career?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think, as I said on court, this one was one of the more demanding matches that I have ever played in my career so far. I think physically we just push each other to the limit today. We push our bodies to the limit, which I think the level of the fifth set was really, really high.

So I just really, really happy to get the win, that I came back. Yeah, I just rank this one in the top position of one of the best matches that I have ever won.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. There seemed a moment after the first game in the fourth set where you almost made a move like you were going to shake Sascha's hand. Was there ever a moment in the match where you didn't think you could continue?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No, no, no, no. I saw the video, and I saw the people talking about it, but there weren't a single second that I thought about retiring.

It was about there are sometimes that I just let him, you know, go through before. There are some moments that he let me, you know, go first. I mean, that video was who is going to go through first, so that was all.

Q. You talk a lot about believing in every situation and every match. Where does that belief come from? Why do you think you believe, even in situations where many of your colleagues, many of your fellow players would probably lose belief?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, because I just lost giving up. I mean, I just hate -- I just hate giving up. Just how I could feel after all, you know, I just don't want to feel that way.

There are some moments that it seems like, okay, I just giving up or just I'm not fighting at all, which when I was younger, there were a lot of matches that I just didn't want to fight anymore or just I gave up. Then I just got mature, and I just hate that feeling after all.

Thinking about, okay, I could do it or I could do a little bit more or I could suffer a little bit more, that feeling, that thoughts just, you know, kill myself. You know, every step more, every just one second more of suffering, one second more of fighting is always worth it. So that's why I just fight until the last ball and always believe that I can come back in every situation.

Q. Same question I asked you a couple of weeks ago that you said you would think about. If it was a choice between this Australian Open and becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam or all of the other three this year, which would you choose?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I would choose this one. Yeah, if I make the final of the other three, but yeah (laughter), I would say I rather win this one than the three and complete the Grand Slam and be the youngest ever to do it.

Q. Incredible win. Sascha was frustrated, I don't know if you saw about, what he felt was when you were cramping and then you got a medical timeout. Can you just explain what it was that you were suffering with and whether you believe the MTO was within the rules?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it was really demanding, the match, but obviously when I just felt cramps before, and in the beginning when it was on a specific just one muscle, so I didn't think was cramp at all at the beginning. So I didn't know exactly what it was, because I just go around to a forehand and then I started to feel it just in the right adductor, so that's why I just called the physio, because it was just that moment, the rest of the legs, the left leg was good. I mean, not good, but decent.

You know, and after that with all the stress that I didn't know what's going on, didn't know if it's going to be worse or not, you know, it came, it came everything after all.

But, you know, in that moment I just talk to the physio. I said, okay, I just went to run to the forehand side, and I started to feel like the right adductor. He decided to take the medical timeout, and he did it.

Then I just took, I think, the three remindants (phonetic) on just the changeover, and that's it. You know, once again, I just told what happens to the physio, and he decides to take medical.

Q. Had you been feeling it before then, or was it just in that moment in that 4-All game?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No, I just feel a little bit, you know, a little bit before. It just increased the few games later.

Q. Incredible match. Just a follow-up on the previous question. Just to be clear, do you have an injury now, and how do you feel?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, obviously I feel tired. You know, obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that's normal after five hours and a half.

So I just did whatever it takes just to try to be better, to feel better tomorrow. Ice bath, contract (phonetic). I'm going to have treatment with the physio now, and we will see.

Hopefully it's not going to be nothing at all, but after five-hours-and-a-half match and that high level of physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight, and I just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.

Q. What does the rest of your night look like after a match like this? Are you doing more recovery work? Are you watching the other semifinal match? Are you celebrating with your team? What does it look like? When do you go to sleep?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I've been watching the semifinal, the first two sets. Right now, yes, I said I will try to do whatever it takes just to be ready.

But obviously it's going to take a couple of hours, for sure, with treatment, and obviously with the adrenaline and everything from the match, sometimes it's really difficult to get to sleep.

I will try to go to sleep as soon as I can, but probably it's going to take couple of hours, for sure.