Melbourne, January 27: Spanish tennis star and World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has qualified for his first-ever semi-final in the Australian Open 2026 after defeating home favourite Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final at Rod Laver Arena. He moved into the semi-finals with a commanding straight-sets win, closing the match 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.
Racket Skills On Display
Earlier, tennis stars have been seen only smashing the racket on the ground after losing the game and breaking it. However, a video has gone viral on social media in which Alcaraz is seen performing impressive tricks with the tennis racket.
Fans Cheer Loud
Alcaraz is seen in the video rotating the racket while balancing it on his single finger, impressing the crowd, the presenter and the internet users alike. He is also seen throwing the racket up in the air and rotating it single-handedly, while the crowd is cheering for him loudly. The video of him performing the tricks has gone viral on social media and the internet users are praising the star.
Only Grand Slam Title Remaining To Win
The 22-year-old Spanish tennis star has reached his 10th Grand Slam semi-final at the very young age, levelling the record with legends like - Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker. Australian Open is the only Grand Slam title which Alcaraz has not won in his career. If he wins the title, it would be his maiden Australian Open and he will become the youngest to win it.
Quarter-Final Against de Minaur
In today's match between Alcaraz and Alex, after a competitive opening set, Alcaraz raised his intensity, dominating from the baseline and using his power variety to control of the contest.
The Spaniard improved his serving as the match progressed and was clinical on return, converting seven of his 16 break points, while de Minaur struggled to maintain the same level after the first set. Alcaraz wrapped up the match in just under two hours to continue his strong run as the tournament progresses.
