Carlos Alcaraz pulls off Formula 1 celebration after epic five-set win over Alexander Zverev at Australian Open 2026 [Watch]

Alcaraz celebrated his gritty five-setter win in style.

In a moment that blended tennis grit with cross-sport homage, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his sensational five-set semi-final victory over Alexander Zverev at the 2026 Australian Open by replicating Formula 1 legend Fernando Alonso’s famous “samurai” pose.

The 22-year-old Spaniard sealed a grueling 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 win after 5 hours and 27 minutes—the longest semi-final in Melbourne Park history, to reach his maiden Australian Open final and etch his name as the youngest player in the Open Era to contest finals at all four Grand Slams.

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The celebration came immediately after converting match point on Zverev’s serve. Alcaraz dropped to his knees in exhaustion, then rose and struck the signature Alonso gesture: arms crossed in an “X” over his chest, mimicking a samurai sword draw, a move that has become synonymous with the two-time F1 world champion’s moments of defiance and triumph.

The pose, first popularized by Alonso during his dramatic 2006 season with Renault, symbolized resilience under pressure, qualities Alcaraz embodied throughout the marathon.

Having led by two sets, the Spaniard battled severe cramps in his upper right leg from the third set onward, requiring medical timeouts, pickle juice, and sheer willpower to rally in the fifth after Zverev served for the match at 5-4.

Alcaraz’s admiration for Alonso runs deep and is well-documented. During the 2024 Miami Open, he famously scribbled “33 → soon” on a courtside camera, cheering Alonso’s pursuit of a 33rd F1 victory amid his remarkable late-career resurgence with Aston Martin.

The Spaniard has repeatedly called Alonso “crazy” for competing at the highest level in his 40s, crediting the Asturian’s tenacity for motivating his own successes, including his Indian Wells title run.

“To me, it’s crazy what he’s doing at his age… He’s basically in the fight for the F1 championship,” Alcaraz once said, highlighting the shared Spanish fighting spirit.

Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest-ever to reach all four Grand Slam finals

By adopting the samurai pose, Alcaraz paid tribute to a fellow countryman who has redefined endurance in elite sport. Just as Alonso inherited a crucial 2006 win after Michael Schumacher’s rare engine failure and closed in on the title through survival and timing, Alcaraz absorbed physical punishment, adapted when movement deserted him, and outlasted Zverev in a test of attrition.

Now one victory from completing the career Grand Slam, the youngest in the Open Era to do so should he succeed, the top seed faces Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the final.

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