Alcaraz Beats Medvedev in Vienna Semifinal to Extend ATP 500 Run to 15 Matches

Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) in the semifinals of the Vienna Open on Oct. 31 and moved into the final. He will play either Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur there, according to AFP, which was cited by The Straits Times.

The win stretched Alcaraz's unbeaten run at ATP 500 events this season to 15 matches. Medvedev lost but still came away with something: his run to the last four secured him a place at the ATP Finals in November.

The numbers behind the Vienna semifinal

• 6-4, 7-6 (7/2): the score. The Straits Times reported that Alcaraz broke first in the opening set, Medvedev broke back immediately, and a Medvedev double fault gave Alcaraz two set points at 5-4. He converted the first.
• 15 matches: Alcaraz's unbeaten streak at ATP 500 level this year. Tennis Majors put it at 14-0 before the semifinal, and it said he had won 24 straight matches since losing the 2025 Barcelona final to Holger Rune.
• 6-3: Alcaraz's lead in the head-to-head with Medvedev going into the match, according to Tennis Majors. Medvedev won their last meeting, in the Indian Wells semifinals in March, by 6-3, 7-6 (3).
• Seven-match winning streak: what Medvedev brought to Vienna after winning the Almaty title. Tennis Majors said he was 18-2 since Sept. 26 and led the tour with 41 hard-court wins this season.
• 7-6: Alcaraz's lead over Zverev in their rivalry, according to Tennis Majors. Alcaraz won their Australian Open semifinal this year in five sets, but Zverev won their only Vienna meeting, in 2021.

How the second set unfolded

The Straits Times said Alcaraz appeared close to the final when a Medvedev volley into the net put him ahead 4-2 in the second set. Medvedev answered by breaking Alcaraz's next service game to love, which kept the set alive. In the tiebreak, both players struggled on serve at first. Alcaraz then won five points in a row to finish the match.

Before the match, Alcaraz told reporters he expected a physical contest of long rallies against Medvedev. He said the ball becomes slow and heavy after a few games, which makes it hard to generate power and suits Medvedev's style, according to Tennis Majors.

Why it matters for the final and the rankings

For tennis fans, the result sets up a Sunday final with a ranking storyline attached. Zverev is due to become world No. 1 on Nov. 2, taking the spot from the injured Jannik Sinner, according to The Straits Times. Tennis Majors said Zverev leads the tour with 65 wins this season and won Roland-Garros and the US Open.

Alcaraz, who first reached No. 1 in September 2022 and spent 66 weeks there, played down the importance of the position. He called it “just a ranking,” Tennis Majors reported, and said he expected Zverev to stay motivated in the weeks after reaching it.

For Medvedev, the loss ends a strong stretch with five straight tournament semifinals or better. Tennis Majors said his quarterfinal win in Vienna sealed his seventh ATP Finals qualification in eight years.

What happens next

The final is scheduled for Nov. 1. Zverev and de Minaur were due to play the other semifinal. De Minaur is the fifth seed, according to The Straits Times. Zverev leads their head-to-head 9-4, Tennis Majors said, though de Minaur beat him at the Laver Cup in September. The rankings change takes effect Nov. 2, and the ATP Finals follow in November.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Tennis Majors, The Straits Times