“I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what,” Alcaraz said. “No matter what you’re struggling [with, what] you’ve been through, no matter anything, you gotta still believe in yourself all the time.
“I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career, I would say, but I’ve been in these kinds of situations.
“I’ve been this kind of match before. So I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it. I fought until the last ball. I knew that I was going to have my chances. I was passionate, you know, in the fifth set, but just extremely proud about myself, the way that I felt and the way that I came back.”
Vying for his fourth Grand Slam final, Zverev had not toppled a world No.1 since Novak Djokovic in 2021 and if he was to do so against the incumbent, he needed to push through uncharted territory.
Not since the second round at Roland Garros in 2022 against Sebastian Baez had he recovered to win from two sets down, and he had only done it three times in 37 five-set matches.
This, though, was a different calibre of opponent and when Alcaraz’s sterling record was factored in, the odds dramatically lengthened.
The world No.1 had never lost after taking a two-set lead, and he put himself in the box seat to preserve that statistic when he reeled off the final three points of the second-set tiebreak.
Zverev, who had beaten the Spaniard in the quarterfinals two years ago, somehow needed to convince himself this was a hole from which he could still dig his way out.
Mental exhaustion compounded any physical exertion at this point – a struggle to find answers against such a relentless onslaught.