The top four seeds have all reached the semifinals! The last time this happened at the Australian Open was with the Big Four!

The Australian Open is nearing its final climax. At the men’s singles round of 16, it was astonishing to discover that all 16 players were seeded, marking the first time this has occurred in the Open Era.

By the time the quarterfinals arrived, every one of the world’s top eight players had made it through (except for world No. 7 Aliassime, who withdrew in the first round due to injury and was replaced by the tournament’s biggest surprise, Lénárd Černák).

In the end, the top four seeds successfully met in the semifinals, with the last time this happened at the Australian Open dating back to 2012 (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray). The most recent instance of the top four seeds reaching a Grand Slam semifinal was at the 2019 French Open (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Thiem).

Both of these tournaments are worth mentioning. The year 2012 was truly a year of balance among the Big Four; starting from the Australian Open, the four dominated the semifinals, culminating in the longest men’s singles Grand Slam final in history. Djokovic and Nadal battled through five sets, and the ceremony afterward was so exhausting that they had to remain seated to receive their trophies.

Djokovic achieved a three-peat, while the other three Grand Slams that season were won by Nadal, Federer, and Murray respectively. After his disappointment at the Australian Open, the King of Clay lifted the trophy at his home tournament in Paris; Federer claimed the challenger’s crown again after three years; and Murray earned his first Grand Slam title by defeating Djokovic.

In 2019, Federer made his last appearance at the French Open. In previous years, he had selectively competed in the clay season, even missing the French Open at times. This time, he managed to reach the semifinals by defeating Wawrinka in the quarters, with the other three semifinalists being familiar faces, including the rising clay court star Thiem.

Ultimately, the Federer-Nadal rivalry was reignited in the semifinals, with Federer still unable to overcome Nadal, leaving his career record against Nadal at Roland Garros winless. Thiem once again defeated Djokovic at the French Open, setting up a final between two clay court specialists.

This year’s Australian Open semifinals are indeed highly competitive. On the women’s side, although not all four are top seeds, each player advanced by winning in straight sets.

In the men’s singles, each contender has their own "small goal": Alcaraz is chasing a career Grand Slam; Djokovic aims for his 25th major title; Zverev strives for his first Grand Slam victory; Sinner seeks a third consecutive Australian Open title.

In the end, who will successfully fulfill their ambitions? Let us eagerly await the outcome!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Chengqiya)