World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has dismissed speculation he considered retiring during his five-hour Australian Open semi-final victory over Alexander Zverev, calling the incident a misunderstanding. The top seed was seen walking toward the net after losing the first game of the fourth set, prompting commentators and fans to believe he was about to shake hands and quit.
Alcaraz, who had been struggling with cramps since late in the third set, explained the moment was simply a mix-up over who should go through the net first. “There wasn’t a single second I thought about retiring,” he said after the match. “That video is ‘who is going to go through first?’ That was all.”
The Spaniard had taken a controversial medical timeout for what he initially thought was an adductor injury, not cramp, which is typically not allowed. Zverev was visibly frustrated, calling the situation “bulls***” during the match. However, Alcaraz insisted the physio made the decision to treat him.
Despite the drama, Alcaraz fought back from 3-5 down in the fifth set to win 6-4 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 7-5 in five hours and 27 minutes. Zverev later downplayed the controversy, saying the epic battle deserved to be the focus.
