Alcaraz beats Medvedev in straight sets to set up Vienna final against De Minaur

Carlos Alcaraz reached the final of the Vienna Open on Saturday with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Daniil Medvedev, and will play Australia's Alex de Minaur for the title on Sunday. The Spaniard, ranked third in the world, needed 96 minutes to end the Russian's run of seven consecutive victories, according to the ATP Tour.

It is Alcaraz's fifth final of the season and his first at the indoor ATP 500 tournament in the Austrian capital. EFE described it as the 50th semi-final of his professional career.

A tight first set, a one-sided tie-break

Both players dropped serve early in the opening set before Alcaraz broke once more to take it, the ATP Tour reported. Medvedev held on to force a tie-break in the second set, which the Spaniard won 7-2. Over the match he struck 28 winners and took 54 per cent of the points played, according to EFE, and he converted three of the four break points he earned, according to ATP figures.

"It's a great feeling, beating someone like Daniil on an indoor court, after the [run] he was having," Alcaraz said after the match, quoted by the ATP Tour. He said he was "really happy" to be playing another final, his first in Vienna.

The result avenged his defeat by Medvedev in the semi-finals of Indian Wells in March. Before Saturday, Alcaraz led their head-to-head record by six wins to three, AFP reported.

De Minaur stops Zverev

In the other semi-final, De Minaur, ranked 10th in the world, beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), according to AFP. Zverev, the top seed in Vienna, had already made sure of climbing to the top of the rankings: he will become world No. 1 for the first time when the new list is published on Monday, the ATP Tour said.

The final gives Alcaraz a favourable record to defend. He has won all six of his tour-level matches against De Minaur, and he is unbeaten in 25 matches at ATP 500 level since losing the Barcelona final in 2025, according to the ATP Tour. EFE put his record for 2026 at 37 wins and five defeats, with three titles so far this year: the Australian Open, Doha and Tokyo.

Next stop, Turin

Alcaraz and Medvedev are both already guaranteed a place at the ATP Finals, the season-ending event for the year's eight best players, to be held in Turin from 15 to 22 November. Alcaraz was confirmed earlier in the week, and Medvedev, world No. 5, sealed his spot by reaching the last four in Vienna, AFP reported. Zverev and the American Ben Shelton had also qualified as of Friday, according to the French agency.

The Vienna final will be played on Sunday 1 November. After Vienna, Medvedev is due to play at the Paris Masters, the ATP Tour said.