De Minaur stuns incoming world No 1 Zverev to set up Vienna final against Alcaraz and boost ATP Finals hopes
Alex de Minaur beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) to meet Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's Vienna final. Alcaraz beat Medvedev 6-4, 7-6(2).
At a glance
- Alex de Minaur beat top seed Alexander Zverev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the Vienna Open semi-finals on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
- Zverev will still become world No 1 on Monday, replacing Jannik Sinner.
- Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) in 96 minutes, for his 25th straight win at ATP 500 level.
- De Minaur moves past Rafael Jodar in the race for the ATP Finals and is unbeaten indoors this season at 10-0.
- The final is on Sunday, November 1, at about 6pm PKT.
Alex de Minaur beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the Vienna Open semi-finals on Saturday, October 31, 2026, handing the incoming world No 1 his first defeat since securing the top ranking. The Australian now plays Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), in Sunday's final. For De Minaur, the win is also worth a great deal in the race for a place at the ATP Finals.
A deciding set with no break points
De Minaur took the opening set, then Zverev overpowered him 6-1 in the second. The third produced no break points at all, and the Australian was the steadier player in the tie-break, winning it 7-4 to finish the match in about two and a half hours.
"I played on my terms," De Minaur said. "I was going to go out swinging and playing the right type of tennis, and that's what made the difference today."
It was one of the biggest wins of his career. Zverev won the French Open and the US Open this year and will replace Jannik Sinner at No 1 on Monday. The defeat does not change that.
Alcaraz ends Medvedev's run
The second seed took the first set when Medvedev double-faulted on set point. The Russian pushed back in the second and forced a tie-break, where Alcaraz's groundstrokes settled it. The match lasted 96 minutes.
The win ended Medvedev's seven-match winning streak and gave Alcaraz a measure of revenge for the Indian Wells semi-final in March, which was the Spaniard's first defeat of the season.
The finalists by the numbers
| Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | |
|---|---|---|
| Seeding in Vienna | 2 | 5 |
| Age | 23 | 27 |
| Semi-final result | Beat Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) | Beat Zverev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) |
| Career tour-level finals | 37 | 23 |
| Finals in 2026 | 5 | 4 |
| Standout form | 25 straight wins at ATP 500 events | 10-0 indoors this season |
| Vienna finals before this | None | None |
| ATP Finals | Already qualified | Still chasing a place |
Alcaraz's last defeat at ATP 500 level came against Holger Rune in Barcelona in April 2025. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played a Vienna final before. De Minaur's only title this year came at Rotterdam in February.
What it does to the ATP Finals race
Four men had already qualified for Turin, including Alcaraz and Medvedev. Saturday's win took De Minaur past Spain's Rafael Jodar in the race, and a title on Sunday would add more points before the final week of the regular season.
The chase is close in Basel too, where Valentin Vacherot beat Taylor Fritz on Saturday to reach the final against Jiri Lehecka, leaving the American's hopes in trouble. Everyone still in contention then moves to the Paris Masters, which starts on Monday, November 2.
When to watch the Vienna final
The Alcaraz vs De Minaur final is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at 1pm UK time, which is 2pm in Vienna and 6pm in Pakistan.
