MELBOURNE -- The 2026 Australian Open delivered one of the most dramatic semifinal days in Grand Slam history on Thursday and Friday, as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz each survived five-set wars to set up a blockbuster championship showdown on Sunday, February 1.

Djokovic, who will turn 39 in May, produced what many are calling the biggest upset of his storied career, defeating two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted four hours and nine minutes, finishing well past 1:30 AM local time at Rod Laver Arena. The Serbian legend saved an astonishing 16 of the 18 break points he faced, repeatedly escaping danger with the kind of clutch shot-making that has defined his 24-Grand Slam career.

Sinner, the second seed who had won five consecutive matches against Djokovic heading into the semifinal, appeared in control after taking the first set and then re-establishing his lead at two sets to one. But the fourth-seeded Djokovic refused to yield. At 3-3 in the decisive fifth set, he broke Sinner with three punishing rallies, then held serve while fighting off three more break points. Serving for the match at 5-4, Djokovic set up match point with a forehand winner down the line. Sinner saved two match points before finally sending a backhand wide to end the contest.

Djokovic was in a reflective mood afterward, offering a quip that captured his relief. "He won the last five matches against me, he had my mobile number, so I had to change my number tonight," the 38-year-old said with a grin. By reaching the final, he became the oldest man to contest an Australian Open championship match in the professional era.

The earlier semifinal was no less dramatic. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz overcame cramping, a potential injury scare, and the relentless challenge of third-seeded Alexander Zverev to prevail 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 in a grueling encounter that stretched to five hours and 27 minutes, making it the third-longest match in Australian Open history. After racing to a two-set lead, the 22-year-old Spaniard was dragged into a physical battle as Zverev won back-to-back tiebreaks to level the match. But Alcaraz found his deepest reserves in the fifth set, breaking Zverev late to seal his passage to a seventh Grand Slam final.

Sunday's championship match carries immense stakes for both men. For Alcaraz, victory would make him the youngest player in men's tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam, having already won the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open across his remarkable rise. For Djokovic, it would mean a record-extending 11th Australian Open crown and a staggering 25th Grand Slam title, further cementing his claim as the greatest player the sport has ever seen.

The head-to-head record between the two stands at 5-4 in Djokovic's favor, though Alcaraz leads 3-2 in their five Grand Slam meetings. Four of their nine clashes have been finals, split evenly at two apiece. Their rivalry has already produced some of the sport's most memorable matches, including the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals.

As Melbourne prepares for what promises to be an epic generational showdown, one thing is certain: regardless of the outcome, the 2026 Australian Open has already delivered a semifinal weekend for the ages.