Alcaraz responds to viral clip and claims he 'almost retired' against Zverev
NewsSaturday, 31 January 2026 at 15:10
Some fans and commentators thought Carlos Alcaraz was on the verge of retiring against Alexander Zverev, but the Spaniard has clarified what really happened.
After winning the opening two sets against Zverev, Alcaraz began limping in the third set and took a medical timeout. It seemed to many that he had cramps, and the German was furious that the umpire allowed him a medical timeout.
Ultimately, Alcaraz was able to complete and win the match. Zverev had a golden opportunity to secure one of the best victories of his career when serving for a place in the final at 5-4 in the fifth set, but the six-time Grand Slam champion dramatically rallied to prevail.
After the fourth set's opening game, Alcaraz took a step towards the net, and it seemed like he was considering shaking hands with Zverev and retiring. His opponent then briefly took a step nearer Alcaraz as if he thought his opponent was retiring.
Instead, the ATP world No. 1 put his hand up to Zverev as an apology for the confusion and walked to his chair. It did not cause any tension between the players, but it was a notable moment that made many uncertain about Alcaraz's intentions.
In his post-match press conference, Alcaraz confirmed that he never thought about retiring from the match, and the step to the net was caused by his wanting to let Zverev walk to his chair first.
"No, no, no. I saw the video, and I saw people talking about it, but there was not a single moment that I thought about retiring. There are some moments that I let him go through, there are some moments that he let me go first. That video was who was going to go through first, so that was all."
There is no reason to disbelieve Alcaraz, but others initially viewing and interpreting the moment as him considering retirement was understandable. The young star said afterward that he did not think the issue was caused by cramps when it began.
History is guaranteed to be made in Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic's 2026 Australian Open final
A fourth consecutive Grand Slam final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was avoided when Novak Djokovic pulled off a truly remarkable five-set triumph over Sinner in their Australian Open semifinal on Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic had lost his previous five matches against Sinner, including three at Grand Slams. At nearly 39, how the ten-time champion in Melbourne fended off ten break points in the fifth set and played through fatigue was inspiring.
The Serbian could have played Alexander Zverev had Alcaraz not recovered from 4-5 and a break down in the fifth set of their contest. That gives the 22-year-old an opportunity to win the only Grand Slam he is missing.
If Alcaraz defeats Djokovic on Sunday, he will become the youngest man in tennis history to complete the Career Grand Slam, a term used to describe those who have won all four Major titles.
Djokovic will also play for history. If he wins his first Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open, he would become the first singles player with 25 Majors, overtaking Margaret Court.
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