Alcaraz: "I hate the feeling of giving up and not suffering until the end, I will never have it again"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 30 Jan 2026 | 13.27

Carlos Alcaraz, do not give up. Photo: gettyimages

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As exemplary on the court as in front of the microphones, Carlos Alcaraz gives life lessons both on and off the court, demonstrating a spectacular work ethic, honesty, and transparency in his words. This was exemplified in the press conference following his match against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the Open de Australia 2026, where he made juicy headlines.

The events of this Friday in the semifinal match of the Open de Australia 2026 will be remembered forever, in which Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the final by defeating Alexander Zverev in an epic battle. With the satisfaction of achieving a historic victory and the uncertainty of how his body will react in the coming hours, the player from Murcia appeared at the press conference, offering deep reflections and clarifying many uncertainties about his clash with the German.

Here's what Alcaraz said in the press conference after beating Zverev in the Open de Australia 2026

Assessment of his match against Zverev and his ability to endure on the court

"It has been one of the most demanding matches of my career in terms of physicality, mentality, and tennis. We pushed our bodies to the limit, and the level of play in the fifth set was truly outstanding. I consider this one of the greatest victories in my career," said the player from Murcia, vividly describing his ambition and fighting spirit.

"Look, when I was younger, there were occasions when I gave up during the match, didn't fight as much as I should have. Later on, I realized how much I hated that feeling, and thanks to maturing, I will never feel that way again. Every second of suffering on the court is worth it. I always believed in my chances, always thought I could come back, I wasn't willing to give up. I was clear that closing out a match like this would be tough," he reflected.

"I started feeling better towards the end of the fourth set, but at the beginning of the fifth, Sascha displayed incredible tennis. The first games he played were fantastic, but I never felt defeated. I knew I had to keep fighting. Not capitalizing on some break points made me a bit anxious, but it also made me realize that I was close and that if I kept fighting, I would eventually succeed. It's great to have achieved it," concluded the Spaniard.

Controversy regarding the medical timeout and the nature of his physical problems

"I only felt something in one muscle, the adductor of my right leg. Honestly, I didn't think it was cramps, which is why I called the physio and requested a medical timeout. At that moment, nothing else bothered me; the rest of my body felt fine, well, decent. However, shortly after being attended to, and possibly due to nerves and the stress of not knowing exactly what was happening, I started to feel cramps all over my body. I was granted the medical timeout because what I conveyed was that when moving to the right, I had felt a twinge in my adductor. It was true," he stated.

"I have to analyze what happened to prevent it from happening again. What I am clear about is that I managed to have the right mindset. Nothing is given here, and having the calm and patience necessary for the cramps to subside has been crucial. I think I need to improve in how I manage my nerves, play more freely, in my style. Being so tensed due to nerves influenced the physical aspect considerably," acknowledged the Spanish player.

How will he recover for the final on Sunday?

"This situation reminds me a lot of what Rafa did in 2009 when he had that incredible match with Verdasco, and everyone doubted if he could play the final, and he ended up winning in five sets against Federer. I'm not saying I'll do the same, but I believe that in a Grand Slam final, you can't claim to be tired. The adrenaline that kicks in will carry me through if I manage to do things right in the next few hours," argued Carlos.

"I know I'll wake up stiff tomorrow. Now I'm going to dedicate a few hours to go through the recovery process to be in the best possible shape. It's going to be a bit difficult to fall asleep after everything that has happened, but I'll make an effort and give my best to arrive on Sunday in the best condition possible," affirmed Carlos Alcaraz, who has already left his eternal mark on this Open de Australia 2026 and is just one victory away from being crowned champion.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "Odio la sensación de rendirme y no sufrir hasta el final, jamás la volveré a tener"