When Roger Federer walked into the 2017 Australian Open after six months away with a knee injury, nobody expected a title run. Seeded 17th, he beat Rafael Nadal in a five-set final and reminded everyone that a comeback is judged less by the return than by the first win that makes people stop and stare. Carlos Alcaraz may have just had his version of that moment at Vienna Open.
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Carlos Alcaraz faced Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Saturday, October 31. While a straight-sets victory with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(2) earned the second-seeded Spaniard a spot in his first-ever Vienna Open final, many deemed it one of the best wins for Alcaraz since August.
“Best win for Carlos Alcaraz since the wrist injury and best I have seen him serve. The speeds were back, so were the spots. Had to elevate his level today with how well Daniil Medvedev has played since the U.S. Open. Good test passed. 4 straight Alcaraz matches this week with a second set tiebreak win,” Tennis One correspondent wrote on X.
The celebrations surrounding Carlos Alcaraz’s victory carry extra significance, especially after a wrist injury kept him out of action for nearly five months and forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Hence, the victory in Vienna carries added significance for the Spaniard, who has worked his way back after being diagnosed with tenosynovitis in his dominant right wrist in mid-April.
“It’s a great feeling, beating someone like Daniil on an indoor court, after the [run] he was having,” Alcaraz said after the game. “A lot of wins in a row, a lot of confidence and I was able to beat him, so it is special. I’ve been working really hard in every aspect of my game, to try and be in good shape for this tournament and to try to give myself another chance to go far in a tournament.
“I’m really happy to have the chance to play another final, and my first one here in Vienna. I will try to make the most of the time to recover well physically mentally for tomorrow. It’s been a great week and I’m looking forward to it.”
Since returning from injury, the Vienna Open is Carlos Alcaraz’s fifth tournament after the US Open (August), Laver Cup (September), Japan Open (October), and Shanghai Masters (October). Next up, in the finals, the Spaniard will either face Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur on Sunday, November 1.
That said, the second semi-final game is generating buzz of its own, where top-seeded Alexander Zverev has brought attention to his concerns about the Dunlop balls used at the Vienna Open.
“Do you think it’s normal to play with these balls in a tennis tournament?” Zverev confronted the umpire.
Sascha has long been vocal about his dissatisfaction with modern tennis balls, particularly the way they behave once they leave the racket. The German has explained that they initially travel at considerable speed for the first two or three metres, only to lose momentum and slow down sharply while still in the air.
Despite these concerns, Zverev has managed to put together a strong campaign this year. After reaching the World No. 1 spot and collecting two Grand Slam titles in 2026, he is now closing in on another trophy in Vienna, Austria.
However, Sascha isn’t alone in questioning the quality of tennis balls. Taylor Fritz has also raised the issue repeatedly over the past few months.
During a Twitch stream in March, the American was particularly critical of Dunlop balls, describing them as “fu*king miserable” to use on a slow court.
“The quality of that ball has gotten so bad over the years. I think they still feel the same when they’re new, but they just used to not blow up the way they’ve been blowing up so quickly,” Fritz said.