{"id":448144,"date":"2026-01-30T21:08:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/448144\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T21:08:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:08:07","slug":"alexander-zverev-fumes-over-alcarazs-timeout-for-cramp-in-semi-final-thriller-australian-open-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/448144\/","title":{"rendered":"Alexander Zverev fumes over Alcaraz\u2019s timeout for cramp in semi-final thriller | Australian Open 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

A weary Alexander Zverev<\/a> described the decision to allow a medical timeout for a cramping Carlos Alcaraz in their epic Australian Open semi-final as \u201cbullshit\u201d, but did not want the matter to take the focus off the quality of their memorable encounter.<\/p>\n

The German failed to capitalise on breaks in the second and fifth sets, as the world No 1 rallied from his physical ailments to win 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4) 7-5<\/a> in five hours and 27 minutes.<\/p>\n

Tournament rules allow medical timeouts for injuries but not muscle cramps. However, the decision is left to the attending physio and doctor.<\/p>\n

Alcaraz clutched the inside of his right groin late in the third set and was moving gingerly \u2013 indicating either cramp or a more severe injury \u2013 and was allowed a medical timeout after seeking attention from the physio.<\/p>\n

Zverev, the world No 3, was incensed in the moment and swore at an official as the Spaniard took on fluids, an indication he was trying to alleviate cramp. \u201cHe was cramping, so normally you can\u2019t take a medical timeout for cramping,\u201d Zverev said. \u201cI just said it was bullshit, basically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allowing Alcaraz a medical timeout limited how much time he would have to spend on court at the peak of his physical suffering, and the extended massage provided by the physio assisted his mobility. \u201cWhat can I do? It\u2019s not my decision,\u201d Zverev said. \u201cI didn\u2019t like it, but it\u2019s not my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alcaraz overcame the ailment and finished the stronger of the two players in a riveting match. Given its quality, Zverev said he would prefer not to dwell on the medical timeout. \u201cTo be honest, I don\u2019t want to talk about this right now, because I think this is one of the best battles there ever was in Australia,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t deserve to be the topic now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz is given a massage by the physio late in the third. Photograph: Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Instead, he expressed regret for not taking his chances in the second set, after he gave up a break when serving to level the match. \u201cI don\u2019t have many regrets in the fifth set, because I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the second set \u2026 I think [if I had gone] up, being one set all, and him starting to cramp in the third set, that probably would have made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Alcaraz was asked whether he was injured for the timeout, he equivocated. \u201cWell, I feel tired,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know, obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that\u2019s normal after five hours and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked how he had battled his way through, Alcaraz said: \u201cBelieving all the time. I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what you\u2019re struggling, no matter anything. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ve been in these kind of situations, in these kind of matches so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I did it, I fought until the last ball. Extremely proud about myself, about the way that I fought and came back during the fifth set. I\u2019m just really happy to have the chance to play my first final in Melbourne. It was something I was chasing a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A weary Alexander Zverev described the decision to allow a medical timeout for a cramping Carlos Alcaraz in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":["post-448144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}