Category Sports News

Carlos Alcaraz continued his quest to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam as he charged past Alex de Minaur to reach his first Australian Open semi-final.

The 22-year-old silenced the crowd on Rod Laver Arena as he beat De Minaur 7-5 6-2 6-1 to end Australia’s hopes of a home singles champion for another year.

Alcaraz has six Grand Slam titles – having won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open twice apiece – but this is the first time he has reached the last four in Melbourne.

Yet to drop a set at this year’s event, the Spaniard said he keeps improving as the tournament goes on.

“I’m happy with the way I am playing here. From the first round to now, I am increasing my level every match,” said Alcaraz, who will face German third seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

De Minaur, who was hoping to make it to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the seventh time of asking, had not beaten world number one Alcaraz in five previous attempts.

In a tight opening set, De Minaur thrilled the crowd with aggressive hitting as he tried to match the world number one’s speed and intensity.

He twice clawed his way back from a break down before the top seed struck the decisive blow at 6-5 after almost an hour on court.

Former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash said the first set showcased “some of the highest level tennis I’ve ever seen”.

“It was two players refusing to back down, they were hitting balls from two or three feet behind the baseline,” Cash told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

“It was like a video game, pinging backwards and forwards. It was so quick; there were drop shots, defensive lobs, chase backs, there was everything. An unbelievable set of tennis.”

But the gap in quality soon became evident as Alcaraz raised his level and De Minaur struggled to land any punches on the six-time major winner’s serve.

Zverev thanked his serve for guiding him past an “unbelievable” Learner Tien earlier on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Tien, ranked 29th in the world, was bidding to become the youngest man to reach the last four in Melbourne for 34 years.

But Zverev produced a serving masterclass to reach his 10th Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-3) victory on Rod Laver Arena.

A beaten finalist last year, Zverev fired down 24 aces and committed just one double fault alongside winning 76% of his first-serve points.

He saved all three break points he faced with an unreturned serve.

“Learner, from the baseline, was playing unbelievable,” Zverev said.

“I don’t think I’ve played anyone who plays that well from the baseline for a very long time.

Zverev said this year’s Australian Open is the first time he has been playing “pain-free” in 12 months.

The 28-year-old tore ligaments in his ankle during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal in 2022 – a career-threatening injury that kept him out of action for six months.

“The last 10 days I felt healthy, and pain-free, which I haven’t felt in a long time. Probably in 12 months,” Zverev said after his win over Tien.

“I feel like I’m happy on the court because I am playing pain-free and a good level.”

Zverev has improved his serve in recent years, adding more consistency after double faults previously plagued his game.

In 2020, when he reached the semi-finals in Melbourne and the final at the US Open, he was averaging 5.9 double faults per match.

Carlos Alcaraz continued his quest to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam as he charged past Alex de Minaur to reach his first Australian Open semi-final.

The 22-year-old silenced the crowd on Rod Laver Arena as he beat De Minaur 7-5 6-2 6-1 to end Australia’s hopes of a home singles champion for another year.

Alcaraz has six Grand Slam titles – having won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open twice apiece – but this is the first time he has reached the last four in Melbourne.

Yet to drop a set at this year’s event, the Spaniard said he keeps improving as the tournament goes on.

“I’m happy with the way I am playing here. From the first round to now, I am increasing my level every match,” said Alcaraz, who will face German third seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

De Minaur, who was hoping to make it to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the seventh time of asking, had not beaten world number one Alcaraz in five previous attempts.

In a tight opening set, De Minaur thrilled the crowd with aggressive hitting as he tried to match the world number one’s speed and intensity.

He twice clawed his way back from a break down before the top seed struck the decisive blow at 6-5 after almost an hour on court.

Former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash said the first set showcased “some of the highest level tennis I’ve ever seen”.

“It was two players refusing to back down, they were hitting balls from two or three feet behind the baseline,” Cash told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

“It was like a video game, pinging backwards and forwards. It was so quick; there were drop shots, defensive lobs, chase backs, there was everything. An unbelievable set of tennis.”

But the gap in quality soon became evident as Alcaraz raised his level and De Minaur struggled to land any punches on the six-time major winner’s serve.

Zverev thanked his serve for guiding him past an “unbelievable” Learner Tien earlier on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Tien, ranked 29th in the world, was bidding to become the youngest man to reach the last four in Melbourne for 34 years.

But Zverev produced a serving masterclass to reach his 10th Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-3) victory on Rod Laver Arena.

A beaten finalist last year, Zverev fired down 24 aces and committed just one double fault alongside winning 76% of his first-serve points.

He saved all three break points he faced with an unreturned serve.

“Learner, from the baseline, was playing unbelievable,” Zverev said.

“I don’t think I’ve played anyone who plays that well from the baseline for a very long time.

Zverev said this year’s Australian Open is the first time he has been playing “pain-free” in 12 months.

The 28-year-old tore ligaments in his ankle during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal in 2022 – a career-threatening injury that kept him out of action for six months.

“The last 10 days I felt healthy, and pain-free, which I haven’t felt in a long time. Probably in 12 months,” Zverev said after his win over Tien.

“I feel like I’m happy on the court because I am playing pain-free and a good level.”

Zverev has improved his serve in recent years, adding more consistency after double faults previously plagued his game.

In 2020, when he reached the semi-finals in Melbourne and the final at the US Open, he was averaging 5.9 double faults per match.

Carlos Alcaraz advanced past Alex de Minaur to reach his first Australian Open semi-final as the youngest player to have won a career grand prix.

De Minaur defeated the 22-year-old 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 to put an end to Australia’s hopes of a home singles champion for another year.

Alcaraz has won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open twice in Melbourne, his sixth Grand Slam victory. This is his first time reaching the final four.

The Spaniard said he keeps improving as the tournament progresses despite not dropping a set at this year’s event.

“I’m enjoying the way I play here right now. Alcaraz, who will face German third seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, said: “From the first round, I am increasing my level every match.”

De Minaur, who had five previous attempts, had failed to defeat world number one Alcaraz in the quest for his first Grand Slam semi-final.

De Minaur deftly captivated the audience with aggressive hitting in a tight opening set as he attempted to match the world number one’s speed and intensity.

After almost an hour on the court, he twice recovered from a break down before the top seed delivered the decisive blow, 6-5.

Pat Cash, a former champion at Wimbledon, described the first set as “some of the highest level tennis I’ve ever seen.”

According to Cash, “two players were striking balls from two or three feet behind the baseline,” they were refusing to back down.

“It pinged backwards and forwards like a video game.” There were chase backs, defensive lobs, drop shots, and other maneuvers, and there was everything. An incredible array of tennis.”

However, Alcaraz’s level of quality quickly increased, and De Minaur struggled to punch the serve of the six-time major champion.

Zverev thanked his serve earlier on Tuesday for guiding him past an “unbelievable” Learner Tien.

The 20-year-old Tien, who is 29th in the world, was attempting to become the youngest man to reach Melbourne’s final four in 34 years.

However, Zverev won the matchup 6-1 7-6 (7-3) at Rod Laver Arena, earning him a serving masterclass to advance to his 10th Grand Slam semi-final.

Zverev, who finished second overall in the previous year, scored only one double fault and earned 76% of his first-serve points.

With a non-returned serve, he managed to save each of his three break points.

Zverev said, “Learner was playing unbelievable from the beginning.”

“I don’t believe I’ve played anyone for a very long time who plays that well from the baseline.”

Zverev claimed this year’s Australian Open was his first “pain-free” game in a year.

The 28-year-old injured his ankle ligaments during his semi-final match against Rafael Nadal in 2022, which threatened to end his career. He missed six months of action because of the injury.

I haven’t felt this good in ten days, but I’ve been feeling good for ten days. After winning over Tien, Zaverev predicted that he would say that probably in a year.

Because I’m playing painlessly and at a high level, I feel happy on the court.

Since having double faults that had previously plagued his game, Zverev has improved his serve.

He averaged 5.9 double faults per match in the year that he reached the semi-finals of Melbourne and the US Open.

Elina Svitolina has the words “carpe diem” tattooed on her right hand.

But “seize the day” was not always a phrase that sat comfortably with her style of tennis.

Known for her defensive play, Svitolina soared up the rankings but struggled for a big breakthrough win at the majors.

However, after having daughter Skai in 2022, Svitolina returned to the tour a different player.

In the past three years, the 31-year-old has reached six Grand Slam quarter-finals, converted two of those into semi-final appearances and swept up three other tour titles.

She has also become a spokesperson for her country; speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, raising funds and keeping the nation’s plight in people’s minds.

Now, a 6-1 6-2 win over world number three Coco Gauff has propelled her back inside the world’s top 10 for the first time since October 2021.

“That was a total annihilation,” former British number one Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Before her maternity leave, Svitolina won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and had been as high as third in the world rankings.

However, she had some tough losses at the majors, particularly at the quarter-final stage.

Seeded third at the 2020 French Open and the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, Svitolina was stunned by world number 131 Nadia Podoroska in the last eight.

Her defensive style of play could allow opponents to hit her off the court.

That has changed. She barely let up against Gauff, whose serve and forehand disintegrated. Svitolina hit 12 winners to Gauff’s three, hit four aces and won 71% of first-serve points to overwhelm the American.

Her win over Gauff is her fourth over a top-five player at a major – and all of those victories have come since her return from maternity leave.

“Since I came back after pregnancy, it’s been trying to find those opportunities to attack,” Svitolina said.

“There’s so many aggressive players who, if you’re not at your best, they are taking the match from you.

Svitolina ended her 2025 season early, saying she had “not been feeling like myself”.

She has begun 2026 with a 10-match winning streak – the third-longest of her career. She has dropped just one set in that sequence and triumphed in Auckland shortly before the first major of the year.

“If I would keep pushing last year, I think I wouldn’t start here. I would be exhausted, and even not sure if I would be injury-free,” Svitolina said.

“It was important to just step back. I have no regrets to take this time.”

Svitolina will face a tough task if she is to break further ground. She has lost her past four meetings with her semi-final opponent, world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

But Svitolina knows what all of her victories mean back home.

She took a break from the game in 2022 because of, among other things, the emotional strain of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Svitolina wrote in her BBC column in 2024 that many Ukrainians feel people have lost interest in their ongoing fight to repel the invasion. She speaks about the war frequently in her post-match news conferences and often writes a message to her country on the camera lens after victory.

“For my country, it’s great. I know that lots of people been watching, especially the matches that I had before,” Svitolina said after her victory over Gauff.

“It’s very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians. It was, I think, one of the toughest winters for Ukrainian people.

“I feel like [I] bring this light, a little light, to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching my matches.

Elina Svitolina has the words “carpe diem” tattooed on her right hand.

But “seize the day” was not always a phrase that sat comfortably with her style of tennis.

Known for her defensive play, Svitolina soared up the rankings but struggled for a big breakthrough win at the majors.

However, after having daughter Skai in 2022, Svitolina returned to the tour a different player.

In the past three years, the 31-year-old has reached six Grand Slam quarter-finals, converted two of those into semi-final appearances and swept up three other tour titles.

She has also become a spokesperson for her country; speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, raising funds and keeping the nation’s plight in people’s minds.

Now, a 6-1 6-2 win over world number three Coco Gauff has propelled her back inside the world’s top 10 for the first time since October 2021.

“That was a total annihilation,” former British number one Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Before her maternity leave, Svitolina won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and had been as high as third in the world rankings.

However, she had some tough losses at the majors, particularly at the quarter-final stage.

Seeded third at the 2020 French Open and the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, Svitolina was stunned by world number 131 Nadia Podoroska in the last eight.

Her defensive style of play could allow opponents to hit her off the court.

That has changed. She barely let up against Gauff, whose serve and forehand disintegrated. Svitolina hit 12 winners to Gauff’s three, hit four aces and won 71% of first-serve points to overwhelm the American.

Her win over Gauff is her fourth over a top-five player at a major – and all of those victories have come since her return from maternity leave.

“Since I came back after pregnancy, it’s been trying to find those opportunities to attack,” Svitolina said.

“There’s so many aggressive players who, if you’re not at your best, they are taking the match from you.

Svitolina ended her 2025 season early, saying she had “not been feeling like myself”.

She has begun 2026 with a 10-match winning streak – the third-longest of her career. She has dropped just one set in that sequence and triumphed in Auckland shortly before the first major of the year.

“If I would keep pushing last year, I think I wouldn’t start here. I would be exhausted, and even not sure if I would be injury-free,” Svitolina said.

“It was important to just step back. I have no regrets to take this time.”

Svitolina will face a tough task if she is to break further ground. She has lost her past four meetings with her semi-final opponent, world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

But Svitolina knows what all of her victories mean back home.

She took a break from the game in 2022 because of, among other things, the emotional strain of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Svitolina wrote in her BBC column in 2024 that many Ukrainians feel people have lost interest in their ongoing fight to repel the invasion. She speaks about the war frequently in her post-match news conferences and often writes a message to her country on the camera lens after victory.

“For my country, it’s great. I know that lots of people been watching, especially the matches that I had before,” Svitolina said after her victory over Gauff.

“It’s very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians. It was, I think, one of the toughest winters for Ukrainian people.

“I feel like [I] bring this light, a little light, to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching my matches.

Elina Svitolina has the words “carpe diem” tattooed on her right hand.

But “seize the day” was not always a phrase that sat comfortably with her style of tennis.

Known for her defensive play, Svitolina soared up the rankings but struggled for a big breakthrough win at the majors.

However, after having daughter Skai in 2022, Svitolina returned to the tour a different player.

In the past three years, the 31-year-old has reached six Grand Slam quarter-finals, converted two of those into semi-final appearances and swept up three other tour titles.

She has also become a spokesperson for her country; speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, raising funds and keeping the nation’s plight in people’s minds.

Now, a 6-1 6-2 win over world number three Coco Gauff has propelled her back inside the world’s top 10 for the first time since October 2021.

“That was a total annihilation,” former British number one Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Before her maternity leave, Svitolina won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and had been as high as third in the world rankings.

However, she had some tough losses at the majors, particularly at the quarter-final stage.

Seeded third at the 2020 French Open and the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, Svitolina was stunned by world number 131 Nadia Podoroska in the last eight.

Her defensive style of play could allow opponents to hit her off the court.

That has changed. She barely let up against Gauff, whose serve and forehand disintegrated. Svitolina hit 12 winners to Gauff’s three, hit four aces and won 71% of first-serve points to overwhelm the American.

Her win over Gauff is her fourth over a top-five player at a major – and all of those victories have come since her return from maternity leave.

“Since I came back after pregnancy, it’s been trying to find those opportunities to attack,” Svitolina said.

“There’s so many aggressive players who, if you’re not at your best, they are taking the match from you.

Svitolina ended her 2025 season early, saying she had “not been feeling like myself”.

She has begun 2026 with a 10-match winning streak – the third-longest of her career. She has dropped just one set in that sequence and triumphed in Auckland shortly before the first major of the year.

“If I would keep pushing last year, I think I wouldn’t start here. I would be exhausted, and even not sure if I would be injury-free,” Svitolina said.

“It was important to just step back. I have no regrets to take this time.”

Svitolina will face a tough task if she is to break further ground. She has lost her past four meetings with her semi-final opponent, world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

But Svitolina knows what all of her victories mean back home.

She took a break from the game in 2022 because of, among other things, the emotional strain of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Svitolina wrote in her BBC column in 2024 that many Ukrainians feel people have lost interest in their ongoing fight to repel the invasion. She speaks about the war frequently in her post-match news conferences and often writes a message to her country on the camera lens after victory.

“For my country, it’s great. I know that lots of people been watching, especially the matches that I had before,” Svitolina said after her victory over Gauff.

“It’s very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians. It was, I think, one of the toughest winters for Ukrainian people.

“I feel like [I] bring this light, a little light, to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching my matches.