The World No. 1 will have a chance to advance to his first Australian Open championship match tonight when Carlos Alcaraz faces off with No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the semfinals.
Alcaraz, with six grand slam titles to his name after winning the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open twice each, has never made it this far in the Australian Open. Last year, his run ended in the quarterfinals; advancing to the finals with a win tonight would give him the chance to complete a career grand slam at age 22.
His competition, Zverev, reached the Australian Open finals last year, losing to Jannik Sinner. He’s reached the final in two other grand slam tournaments in his career, but has not won one yet.
australian open 2026: what to know
- Who: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 3 Alexander Zverev
- When: Jan. 29, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Melbourne Park (Melbourne, Australia)
- Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
The winner of this match will go onto face either defending champion Jannik Sinner or 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the Feb. 1 final.
What time is the Alcaraz vs. Zverev semifinal match?
The Australian Open semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev is scheduled to begin tonight (Jan. 29) at 10:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch the Australian Open for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Australian Open for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching sports live for free — its five-day free trial has ESPN, where tonight’s match is airing. With plenty of subscription options tailored to your streaming habits, you’ll definitely want to consider the MySports Genre Pack, which includes access to all things ESPN, for $69.99/month.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription and have your eye on a specific match, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.
Australian Open 2026 men’s semifinals schedule
- Jan. 29, 10:30 p.m. ET: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 3 Alexander Zverev
- Jan. 30, 3:30 a.m. ET: No. 2 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 4 Novak Djokovic
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.