Carlos Alcaraz has reached the final of the Australian Open with a stellar victory against the World No. 3, Alexander Zverev, in his semifinal round at the Rod Laver Arena. The Spanish star has recently revealed the inspiration behind his performance, highlighting that his unshakeable belief stems from his inability to lose, even amid mental and physical challenges.
Carlos Alcaraz Reflects on His Unwavering Strength and Resilience
The World No. 1 has begun his Grand Slam campaign on a promising note, reaching the title-winning match and posting an 87-13 record at Majors, equalling the record of Swiss icon Bjorn Borg. He etched the record impressively after playing his 100th Grand Slam match against Frenchman Corentin Moutet, defeating him in the third round.
In his semifinal match, Alcaraz defeated Zverev, dominating the first two sets, then lost two sets, and came back to win the last with his clutch performance, with a final scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5. Apart from the intensity, the match was the longest semifinal in the tournament’s history, with 5 hours and 27 minutes.
During his recent post-match press conference, Alcaraz revealed that his resolute mindset and determination to succeed come from his past, when he lost matches by giving up mentally.
Furthermore, he expressed that he doesn’t like the feeling of losing and that, if he can achieve feats by suffering within limits, he would pursue challenges, as he has grown up.
He mentioned, “Because I just lost, giving up. I hate giving up. Just how I would feel after all. I don’t want to feel that way. There are some moments that it seems like, okay, I’m giving up or I’m not fighting at all.”
Alcaraz then added, “When I was younger, there were a lot of matches that I didn’t want to fight anymore or I gave up. I got mature and I 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 thought just killed myself.”
Alcaraz further continued, highlighting his steadfast spirit, “Every step more, every one second more of suffering, one second more of fighting is always worth it. That’s why I just fight until the last ball, and I always believe that I can come back in every situation.”
In the final of the 2026 Australian Open, Alcaraz will face ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who defeated two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-final round.
