By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz used his youth, athleticism and creativity to assert himself against the much more accomplished, but also much older, Novak Djokovic and beat the 24-time major champion, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2, at the U.S. Open on Friday for a berth in his third consecutive Grand Slam final.
By the end, Djokovic seemed resigned to the result. The 38-year-old from Serbia reached the semifinals at all four Slams this season but exited in that round each time.
The second-seeded Alcaraz’s victory means he will face either No. 1 Jannik Sinner or No. 25 Felix Auger-Aliassime for the championship on Sunday, when President Donald Trump plans to attend.
Alcaraz is seeking his sixth major title and second at Flushing Meadows. He defeated Sinner at the French Open in June and lost to his rival at Wimbledon in July.
Sinner could become the first repeat men’s champion in New York since Roger Federer won the hard-court tournament five years in a row from 2004 through 2008.
Djokovic’s bid to become the first player in the sport’s history to get No. 25 was blocked again.
Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 24, have combined to collect the past seven major championships and nine of the last 12. Djokovic won the other three in that span, most recently at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Djokovic’s shots were not quite on-target early and, but for a brief interlude in the second set, his usual verve was not present. He rolled his eyes after one miss, grimaced after another. At changeovers, he flexed or stretched his neck, which bothered him earlier in the tournament, and also was looked at by a trainer.
There also was the occasional bit of brilliance, including a two-handed backhand passing shot that drew raucous roars from the crowd, which often cried out his nickname, “No-le!” and seemed to want to will him to at least make things more competitive, if not win.
Djokovic celebrated by strutting to his towel box while shaking his right hand over and over, as though to say, “Hoo-boy! How nice was that?”
When Alcaraz served for the first set, one particularly spectacular point that ended with both men near the net until a perfectly angled shot by Djokovic drew a mistake really got the crowd fans. Djokovic smiled, then shook his racket to hear more support and fans obliged.
But Alcaraz induced return errors on each of the next two serves, both at 118 mph – Djokovic crouched in disappointment after the first – and that locked up the set.
Soon enough, Djokovic finally earned a break point with the help of a return of a 132 mph serve and converted it when Alcaraz pushed a backhand long. Djokovic threw an uppercut and held the pose as spectators leaped out of their seats to shout and clap and exchange high-fives before launching another chorus of “No-le!”
It was just the second time at this U.S. Open that an opponent had stolen one of Alcaraz’s service games.
One hold later, Djokovic led that set 3-0. Might this portend a long, tight match?
Alcaraz immediately snapped to, taking the next three games, including one scooped cross-court forehand passing winner that was so superb even Djokovic felt compelled to applaud with his racket.
Alcaraz never faced another break point. That’s quite an accomplishment. As Alcaraz said shortly before completing the walk from the locker room to the Ashe court: “Now I am facing one of the best returners ever, if not the best.”
Alcaraz is rather talented at that aspect of tennis, too. So when he won the coin toss, he chose to receive, and it took all of one game for him to show what he can do, breaking Djokovic at the get-go.
It might not have been a perfect performance from Alcaraz, who made 30 unforced errors, the same total as Djokovic. But it was more than good enough.
“Today, I’d say, it wasn’t the best level of the tournament for me,” Alcaraz said, “but I just kept a cool level (from) the beginning until the last point.”
He was wearing a pink, sleeveless shirt and now sporting nearly a full head of hair less than two weeks after showing up for his first-round match with a buzz cut he said was necessary when his brother tried to give him a cut but messed up.
Maybe the decision to enjoy some down time Wednesday helped Alcaraz. He played golf with 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was in a front-row seat across from the chair umpire Friday.
Apparently, Alcaraz came out on the winning end on the links, too, saying of Garcia: “He owes me $200 right now.”
DJOKOVIC WON’T GIVE UP PURSUIT OF 25TH SLAM
There was a moment, albeit a brief one, during his loss when Djokovic appeared to be making a match of it against Alcaraz.
It was early in the second set, not quite an hour into the proceedings at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Djokovic produced the sort of level that has carried him to 24 Grand Slam titles, more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than anyone and all manner of other prizes.
He cracked a return of a 132 mph serve, won the point and earned his first break chance. Then he cashed that in by coming out on top in a nine-stroke exchange, just the second service game Alcaraz lost over these two weeks. Suddenly, Djokovic was up 2-0 in that set. He threw an uppercut and held the pose. Spectators jumped out of their seats, screaming and clapping and singing his nickname, “No-le! No-le!”
In that moment, the 38-year-old Djokovic didn’t look his age, didn’t necessarily seem destined to come up short. A few minutes later, he led 3-0. Ah, but it wouldn’t last.
Alcaraz regained control and finished off his straight-sets victory over a weary Djokovic in less than 2½ hours.
“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams. … I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy, at least,” said Djokovic, who would love to become the first player in tennis history with 25 major singles trophies. “But, you know, it’s going to be a very difficult task.”
Three of his 2025 semifinal departures came against No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is 24, or No. 2 Alcaraz, who is 22; one exit came when Djokovic quit after one set against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open in January because of an injured hamstring.
“Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set,” Djokovic said about what happened Friday. “I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going.”
He said it’s just too much to ask to try to keep up with the much younger men at the very top of the game right now in best-of-five-set matches late in the second week at a major.
Djokovic described that as frustrating – but also something not surprising.
“It comes with time and with age,” he said. “I still enjoy the thrill of competition. Today I received amazing support again on the court from the crowd. Very thankful for that. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going. The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.”
More to come on this story.
Originally Published:
