Carlos Alcaraz raises bar with Alex de Minaur match, cracks SF code at Australian Open | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz raises bar against De Minaur at Australian Open, cracks SF code

The world’s number one, chasing the first AO championship, will have a semi-final showdown with Zverev in Melbourne

January 27, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz completed his career Grand Slam with two wins at the Australian Open on Tuesday, reaching the semifinals for the first time at Melbourne Park.

The world No. 1 absorbed and ultimately neutralized the full force of Alex De Minaur’s cutting-edge attack to seal a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory in front of an energetic Rod Laver Arena crowd. Alcaraz, seeking his seventh Grand Slam title and first in Melbourne, faces last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

“I’m very happy with the level of every game since the first round,” Alcaraz said. “I’m improving my level every match. I talk to my team about being patient because I want everything right now. But they told me to be patient and the level will come. Today I felt comfortable and played great tennis and I’m very proud of it.”

The first AO semi-finals✅@carlosalcaraz Became the 8th Spaniard in history to reach the Australian Open semifinals.

7-5, 6-2, 6-1 against De Minaur.@Australian Open | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/9H5MRIiLmB

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 27, 2026

De Minaur gave us a glimpse of the blueprint needed to plague the sport’s elite, particularly Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but the fight ultimately highlighted the disparity that still exists at the highest level. Alcaraz struck with authority from the baseline and decided the match with conviction as he advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set.

This fortnight, the 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become the sixth player in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam, joining Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver.

After his fourth-round victory over Alexander Bublik, De Minaur opened up about his determination to avoid becoming a “punching bag” for top players and improve his ability to knock his opponents out of position. His pace and relentless defense have propelled him to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but his comments reflect the evolution required for a new generation to challenge the past eight Grand Slam titles.

De Minaur realized this ambition on set. The first set of the quarter-final saw five breaks of serve, with the Australian clawing back from 0-3 and 3-5 deficits by coming out and playing her way. However, this resistance proved to be temporary.

“It’s really difficult,” Alcaraz said when asked about playing De Minaur. “I started the match really well and hit the ball really well. But Alex always makes you anxious, so you want to hit the ball as hard as possible, and that’s not possible with him. So from 3-0 to 4-3, 4-4, I wanted everything to be faster, so I took a little time, mentally rested for a while. I was more patient until the end of the match.”

Alcaraz switched gears decisively, squelching the fight with ruthless groundstrokes and winning in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The victory extended his advantage over De Minaur in Lexus ATP head-to-head matches to 6-0, with the Australian having taken just two sets in the competition when 2022 begins.

Alcaraz’s record at the event has now improved to 16-4 after quarter-final exits at Melbourne Park in 2024 and 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index. What awaits him in the last four matches is a rematch of his 2024 quarter-final against Zverev, which the German won in four sets.