"I’ve watched his matches, and it’s been impressive — the level he’s playing so far" - Alcaraz high in praise for upcoming Australian semi-final opponent

Carlos Alcaraz was very happy to finally reach an Australian Open semi-final, with the final and career Grand Slam on the horizon. He was full of praise for his performance as he looked ahead to a very tough and inform opponent in the semi-finals.

He produced the goods once more against Alex de Minaur, winning 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. While the first set was very close, with de Minaur right on his heels throughout, Alcaraz went up the gears for the rest of the match, producing a scary level to see off the Aussie number one.

When asked if it was his best match of the tournament so far, he offered a very resounding answer. "Yes, I think managing the matches has been one of my best things so far — one of the main goals for me," he communicated. "It’s something I’m trying to put into work every practice. If I practice for two hours, two and a half hours, playing sets or against another player, I’m just trying to play at the same level and have the same concentration point after point after point."

A big part of this is due to the mental sides of the sport, something that Alcaraz has put a lot of effort into over the off-season. He kept full concentration levels throughout, and reaped the rewards. "I think the work pays off. I’m having a great mindset and great concentration during the whole tournament, and I’m really proud to see all the hard work paying off."

It is starting to become a familiar trend for de Minaur to be on the receiving end of a defeat against Alcaraz. Six times they have faced on the ATP Tour, and six times he has lost. Granted, he could not have done much more today hence the blistering form of his opponent, but it will still frustrate the Aussie greatly.

For Alcaraz, however, it is more positive signs against a highly regarded opposition. "We all know his level and his style. He’s really fast," he said. "He doesn’t miss that often. Sometimes it’s really difficult because of his speed and the way he catches the ball so early. He doesn’t let you have time in the match."

He opened up on how the Aussie takes these matches against the best players in the world differently, while explaining how to compound this. "When he plays against the best or top players, he tries to be more aggressive, which sometimes puts him a bit out of his comfort zone," he disclosed. "Sometimes we see him miss quite often on some fairly easy balls, let’s say. I noticed that, and we know how to approach the match because we’re one step ahead in that case."

Alexander Zverev is in the Spaniard's way of a first Australian Open final, with the German looking to make it back-to-back finals, with his motivation to finally win a major title after years of trying. He is looking very good to achieve this feat after playing some blinding tennis in the prior matches, defeating a very talented Learner Tien with a commanding performance.

Alcaraz has also noticed the level of his rival increase. "The week before, we practiced with other players, and I got one practice with him. The level was really, really high. It was 7–6, probably one hour and thirty minutes of sets. High level of tennis, high level of intensity."

Not just playing against him on court but also when watching his matches. "I’ve watched his matches, and it’s been impressive — the level he’s playing so far," Alcaraz said. "It’s going to be a great battle. I know he’s serving pretty well. He’s playing really solid and aggressive when he can from the baseline."

Despite this, the world number one will be going into the match confident, and rightly so. The pair are tied 6-6 in the head-to-head, but Alcaraz has won three of the four prior meetings. On the other hand, the last time they faced off at the Australian Open, Zverev defeated him enroute to the semi-finals.

"I will be ready for sure," he stated. "I’m excited about playing him here in the semi-final. I know what I have to do, and I’ll be well prepared. If he wants to beat me, he has to sweat a lot."

Alcaraz was very bold in his schedule choices at the start of the year, opting not to compete in any of the ATP events Down Under, prefering just a single exhibition match in South Korea against Jannik Sinner. This was his only preparation for the tournament, and the first match he played without long-term coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

"I had to get the rhythm of competition again," he acknowledged. "I left the court in the first round unhappy with my level and how I felt. My team told me to be patient — the level I want to play will come for sure."

The 22-year-old never once stopped believing in the process and now is back to his best level. "You have to keep trying, keep pushing yourself, and you’ll get where you want to be. I think it’s been great work so far — passion, trying, pushing yourself. I’m just happy to see where my level is right now."

Alcaraz's last Grand Slan venture came in the 2025 US Open, where he put on a show in New York as he won the title for the first time since 2022, defeating the reigning champion Sinner in a magnificent two weeks of tennis.

While he has impressed in Melbourne, it is not quite at the level of his shown in the last major tournament. "I don’t know. I would say the level at the US Open was higher than what I’m playing right now, but it’s pretty close. It’s pretty close, so we can discuss."

He was not going to comment on that any further, but still highlighted what made him so good at Flushing Meadows. "I let people talk about which level was better, the US Open or this one. But with the way I was serving and doing everything at the US Open, for me it was unmatchable. Still, I’m really happy and proud of how I’m playing here."

South Korean musician Peggy Gou was the standout name in the Alcaraz box. The six-time Grand Slam champion did not disappoint, with her heavily invested in the tie and delighted to see him advance.

Alcaraz explained why she was there. "Yes, she’s a friend. She’s really, really cool. I’d better win the next round if I want to see her playing. I’m happy to see her around — she gave me great support. Hopefully I’ll see and watch her play on Sunday."