The Australian Open Final will be a matchup of old against new, with Carlos Alcaraz facing Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz outlasted Alex Zverev in a five-set, five-hour classic late Thursday night to make it to the Final. If he beats Djokovic on Sunday morning, he will complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz took multiple medical timeouts due to cramping, which extended the match significantly. He told ESPN, “I think physically we just pushed each other to the limit today. We pushed our bodies to the limit. Just really, really happy to get the win, that I came back. I just rank this one in the top position of one of the best matches that I have ever won.”

Alcaraz and Djokovic have created a somewhat generational rivalry in recent years. Last year, they played in the US Open semifinal, with the younger Alcaraz winning the match. This will be their 10th matchup, with Djokovic already holding five wins. That includes a win at the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals.

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In his career, Alcaraz had struggled at the Australian Open. Until 2026, he had never made it past the quarterfinals in the hard-court tournament. He beat American Tommy Paul to make it to the quarterfinals this year, beating Australian Alex de Minaur to get over the hump.

The Zverev match featured three tiebreakers in the middle sets, two of which Zverev won. Alcaraz had opportunities to put the German away in the third and fourth sets, but could not finish the job. With the cramping and incredible length of the match working against him, Alcaraz still got it over the finish line in the end.

The Australian Open Men's Final will start at 3 a.m. Eastern on Sunday morning. If the two semi-final matchups are any indication, it will last well into breakfast hours on the East Coast.