Alexander Zverev has doubled down on his view that Carlos Alcaraz shouldn’t have received a medical timeout during the third set of their semi-final clash at the Australian Open.
The German world No.3 voiced his displeasure at the treatment midway through the match, which he lost in five sets after nearly five-and-a-half hours of gut-busting play. At 4-4 in the third set, Alcaraz suddenly started to move gingerly around the court and appeared to be suffering from cramping. Under tournament rules, players are not allowed medical timeouts specifically for cramping, as it is deemed a loss in their conditioning.
However, Alcaraz was allowed to receive treatment under the presumption that the issue could have been more serious than cramping and therefore required a medical assessment. It is a grey area in the rulebook, as it is hard for non-medical officials (umpires) to determine if a player is suffering solely from cramps and not something else. Treatment for muscle cramping is allowed if it is suspected to be a symptom of a heat-related illness. Alcaraz was also sick during the set, and he then started to cramp.
“He was cramping, so normally you can’t take a medical timeout for cramping,” Zverev told reporters after their match.
“What can I do? It’s not my decision. I didn’t like it, but it’s not my decision.”
At the time of Alcaraz’s medical timeout, Zverev was involved in a heated argument with the tournament supervisor about the situation. Speaking in German, he was caught on camera saying, ‘This is absolute bullshit. That is unbelievable. That can not be. You can not be serious. You protect the both of them (including Jannik Sinner). It’s unbelievable.’
Despite his comments, Zverev insists the incident shouldn’t overshadow what he describes as probably one of the toughest matches of his career.
“I don’t want to talk about this right now because I think this is one of the best battles there ever was in Australia. It doesn’t deserve to be the topic now.” He said.
“He took like an hour and a half off where he wasn’t moving almost at all. So maybe I should have used that better in a way.” Zverev later added.
Alcaraz reveals issue with another part of body
Alcaraz, who is through to his first Australian Open final, has since responded to questions raised over his medical timeout by explaining he was unsure if he suffered an injury in another area of his body. Melbourne is the first Tour-level event he has played since the ATP Finals last November.
“When I just felt cramps before, and in the beginning, when it was one specific muscle, so I didn’t think it was a cramp at all at the beginning. I didn’t know exactly what it was because I just went around to a forehand and then I started to feel my right adductor,” he explained.
“That’s why I called the physio because it was just that moment. The left leg was not good, but decent.”
Alcaraz said he started to feel the pain for ‘a little bit’ on court before seeking treatment and decided to do so when it intensified. Raising questions about how his body will hold up on Sunday when he bids to be the youngest man to achieve a career Grand Slam.
“Hopefully it’s going to be nothing at all, but after a five-and-a-half-hour match and that high level of physicality, I think the muscles are going to be tight, and I just have to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.” He concluded.
What is the rule on treating cramping in Grand Slams?
“Muscle Cramping: A player may receive treatment for muscle cramping only during the time allotted for change of ends and/or set breaks. Players may not receive a Medical Time-Out for muscle cramping. In cases where there is doubt about whether the player suffers from an
acute medical condition, non-acute medical condition inclusive of muscle cramping, or non-treatable medical condition, the decision of the Sports Physiotherapist, in conjunction with the Tournament Doctor, if appropriate, is final. If the Sports Physiotherapist believes that the player has heat illness, and if muscle cramping is one of the manifestations of heat illness, then the muscle cramping may only be treated as part of the recommended treatment by the Sports Physiotherapist for the heat illness condition.”
Source- 2026 OFFICIAL GRAND SLAM RULE BOOK
