Carlos Alcaraz has addressed and dismissed a viral rumor that surfaced following his dramatic Australian Open clash against Alexander Zverev, clarifying that he never once considered retiring from the match despite widespread speculation on social media.
Alcaraz and Zverev locked horns with each other on January 29 in the semifinal round of the first Grand Slam of the year. After a nail-biting yet exciting 5-hour, 27-minute clash, the Spaniard recorded an impressive 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(7), 6-7 (7), 7-5 win.
The controversy stemmed from a short video clip that circulated online, showing Alcaraz appearing hesitant during a changeover, which led some fans to speculate that the Spaniard was contemplating retirement amid visible physical struggles.
A clip of this moment quickly gained traction, fueling claims that the world’s No. 1 was on the verge of pulling out before eventually continuing. In the post-match press conference, Alcaraz firmly shut down those assumptions, stating that the thought of retirement did not cross his mind even once. (1:10 onwards)
“No. No. No, no, no. I saw the video, and I saw the people talking about it, but there weren’t a single second that I thought about retiring. It was about there are some times that I just let him, you know, go through before. There are some moments that he let me, you know, go first. So, I mean, that video was, you know, who’s going to go through first? So that was all,” said Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz Opened Up About His Physical Health After Australian Open Semifinal
Carlos Alcaraz was seen struggling physically during his showdown against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. He took a medical time-out after facing difficulty in movements and also vomiting earlier in the match. He initially felt a cramp, but it became much more of a heat illness later in the match.
Reflecting on his condition, one of the journalists asked him if he was suffering from any injury. Replying to this, the Spaniard said: (6:15 onwards)
“Well, just obviously I feel tired. Obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after 5 hours and a half. So I just did whatever it takes just to try to be better or to feel better tomorrow. Ice bath, you know, a contract. I’m going to, you know, have treatment with the physio at night. So, it’s and we will see,” said Carlos Alcaraz.
He added:
“Hopefully it’s going to be nothing at all, but, after five hours and a half match, and that high level of you know, physically. So, I think the muscles are going to are going to be tight and and I just got to be whatever it takes to to be as good as I can for the final.”
Carlos Alcaraz received a loving cheer from his younger brother, Jaime Alcaraz, after winning the semifinal round. The latter shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram story.
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