Alcaraz beats de Minaur to punch first-ever Australian Open semis ticket

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

For the first time since competing at the Australian Open in 2021, Carlos Alcaraz finally got over the quarterfinal hump and booked his maiden semifinal trip at the Grand Slam event.

The breakthrough win further cemented his name as one of the best to ever do it at just 22 years old, becoming the third-youngest man in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam semifinals.

Alcaraz proved to be too much for Australia’s Alex de Minaur, winning 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 during their quarterfinal showdown on Jan. 27, 2026, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Fresh off a lopsided outing against Tommy Paul in the fourth round, Alcaraz picked up where he left off and extended his perfect streak without dropping a single set in the first five rounds, including the quarterfinal win.

Alcaraz bucked a slow serving start after getting broken by de Minaur twice, recovering midway through the opener and putting a sigh of relief on the Spaniard’s camp watching in the stands.

Both players traded service break points to kick off the quarterfinal showdown, an odd start for players who usually roll in rhythm with their aces to set the tone.

Alcaraz flipped the script in the 11th game after bagging a crucial break point, then backed it up by holding serve to secure the much-needed 1-0 lead.

After shrugging off the jitters, Alcaraz quickly entered an unconscious zone, dominating de Minaur on both ends of the court in the next two sets.

Decisive with his baseline-to-net volley pattern, Alcaraz displayed clinical shot selection as he drowned the Australian with an array of offensive conversions.

From his forehand down-the-line drives to his crafty drop-shot execution, Alcaraz played tennis near perfection, limiting de Minaur to just three set points across two sets.

Alcaraz put the final nail in the coffin with a one-sided showing in the third set, schooling de Minaur, who just could not figure out the youngster’s game plan.

The six-time Grand Slam champion made sure his fans had something to celebrate before exiting Rod Laver Arena after converting a banana forehand winner, followed by an off-the-bounce volley pickup to seal the third set and formalize his semifinal entry.

In just three sets, Alcaraz wrapped up the win with 103 points won, 47 on return, including five service aces and seven break points.

“I’m just really happy with the level that I’m playing every match,” Alcaraz said.

“I’ve been increasing my level each match. I was talking with my team about being patient, because I want all the things right now. But they told me to be patient, that the level will come. Today I felt really comfortable, playing great tennis, which I’m really proud about.”