Carlos Alcaraz kept his hopes of winning a career Grand Slam alive at Melbourne Park with a commanding 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory over local favorite Alex de Minaur to reach the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time in his career.
The 22-year-old traded luxury for efficiency at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, dashing sixth-seeded de Minaur’s hopes. De Minaur was aiming to end Australia’s 50-year wait for a homegrown men’s champion in the tournament.
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Alcaraz, a six-time major champion, broke de Minaur early to take a 3-0 lead, but his improved serve came under scrutiny when he faced three break points in the fifth game.
De Minaur relentlessly retrieved to break back level, regaining the break in the ninth game and holding the next game to the delight of the Center Court crowd, but several loose points gave Alcaraz a gripping first set lead.
Alcaraz started the second set the same way he did the first, but the top seed wasn’t about to let his advantage slip away this time, hitting two jarring backhand crosscourt winners to take a 5-2 lead and build momentum into the match.
A dejected de Minaur gave up his serve early in the third set, but Alcaraz never looked back and won the match, securing a matchup with third-seeded Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz warned his rivals, saying, “I’m really happy with the way I’m playing every game. My level is increasing with each round.”
“I felt really comfortable today and played some great tennis that I’m really proud of.”
Earlier, Germany’s Zverev hit 24 aces and defeated American Lerner Tien 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) to advance to the final four.
“I’ve watched him throughout the tournament and I know he plays great attacking tennis,” Alcaraz said of Zverev.
“Not only me but the whole team has to prepare as well.
“We need to play very well tactically. It’s going to be a great battle.”
The remaining two quarter-final matches will be played on Wednesday, with 10-time Melbourne champion Novak Djokovic facing fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.
The winner will face either two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner or eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton in the semifinals.
Svitolina hopes Gauff’s upset will bring ‘a little light’ to Ukraine
Elina Svitolina said she hoped her stunning upset of third-seeded Coco Gauff would bring a “little light” to her fellow Ukrainians during a harsh winter under Russian attack.
The 31-year-old defeated the American 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals against world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
Like other Ukrainian athletes, Svitolina does not shake hands with opponents from Russia or Moscow’s ally Belarus.
“It’s great for my country,” she said of her landslide victory over Gauff.
“Of course, I am very happy that there is a lot of support from Ukrainians and that many people are getting to know tennis in Ukraine, because this is one of the harshest winters for Ukrainians who have no electricity or anything.”
“So I want to bring this light, a little bit of light, just some positive news to the people of Ukraine and to my friends who watch my games. It’s a great feeling for me.”
Throughout nearly four years of war, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, especially in the winter, leaving many Ukrainians without electricity or heat in subzero temperatures.
Former world No. 3 Svitolina, who is 10 years older than Gauff, was playing in her 14th Grand Slam quarterfinal.
She has only made it to the semi-finals three times before, and never in Australia.
“I’m very, very happy with the tournament so far,” said Svitolina, who is on a 10-game winning streak after winning the title in Auckland this month.
If she advances to the semi-finals, she will rise back into the top 10.
“It’s always been my dream to come back after maternity leave and be in the top 10. It’s always been my goal,” she said.
“It means the world to me.”
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, gave up on her serve and was broken four times in the first set and twice in the second, leaving her title hopes in tatters.
She made just 41 percent of her first service points while making 19 unforced errors.
Gauff struggled with serve issues throughout the tournament and was quickly broken.
With her husband Gael Monfils watching, Svitolina was unable to capitalize and allowed her serve, but Gauff made two double faults at crucial moments and was broken again.
Clearly distraught, she was happy to receive a third break. The Ukrainian took a 5-1 lead with her fifth double fault of the match, giving Svitolina another break and clinching the set in 29 minutes.
Gauff called the ball kids and asked them to re-string three rackets, and left the court for a restroom break after the first set was wiped out.
But to no avail. She started the second set with five consecutive breaks.
She was finally able to endure it on the sixth try, but there was no turning back.
This is the first time Svitolina has reached the final four in Melbourne since the quarter-finals in 2018, 2019 and 2025.
