Carlos Alcaraz remembers a time when pushing his mind and body to its limits didn’t always seem worth the pain.
It can be difficult to fathom given his evolution as one of the sport’s modern-day warriors and particularly in light of his near stumble turned great escape against Alexander Zverev in the longest Australian Open semifinal in history on Friday.
As cramps gripped his right leg with a maiden final at Melbourne Park within touching distance, many would have faltered as the battle stretched on two-and-a-half hours more – mind and body resisting.
Even as he slipped behind a break in the deciding set, belief never waned. It wasn’t always so in his early days.
“I just hate giving up. Just how I could feel after all – I just don't want to feel that way,” Alcaraz said of the 6-4 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 7-5 victory.
“There are some moments that it seems like, ‘OK, I’m 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, ‘OK, I could do it or I could do a little bit more or I could suffer a little bit more’, that feeling, those thoughts just kill [me].
“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.”
All class, @DjokerNole 👏
Minutes before his own semifinal, Novak took out the time to congratulate Carlos Alcaraz on his epic victory. pic.twitter.com/ES9cfudVy2— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2026
Now just one match shy of becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in his maiden Australian Open final, the world No.1 has two days to recover mentally and physically in time to bring his best against two-time champion Jannik Sinner or 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Having extended his exemplary five-set record to 15-1, including his past 12, this one rated among the finest in his short career.
“This one was one of the more demanding matches that I have ever played in my career so far,” he said. “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.
Recovery and rest are the 22-year-old’s priority before his team concocts their game plan in their bid to add the final major to his collection.
It will all be worth the pain given what’s on the line at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
“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,” Alcaraz said.
“So I just did whatever it takes just to try to be better, to feel better tomorrow. Ice bath … I'm going to have treatment with the physio now, and we will see.
“Hopefully it's … going to be nothing at all, but after five-hours-and-a-half [hour] match and that high level of physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight, and I’ve just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final."