Carlos Alcaraz extends the lead to Novak Djokovic, a group of the U.S. Open finals | ATP Journey

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Alcaraz

The Spanish haven’t given up a set in New York

September 5, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz had a clearer confrontation against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the U.S. Open on Friday, leading 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Alcaraz aims to avenge Djokovic at the Australian Open this season and last year’s Paris Olympics at the couple’s ninth Lexus ATP Head2head conference. In the first set of 48 minutes, the depth and aggressiveness of the second seed allowed Djokovic to defeat Djokovic and found a bigger game to win the opener. The Spaniard then dropped his serve for the second time at the start of the second set, but gathered from 0-3 to win a absorbed second set win and had some fierce hits to further control the hour and 52 minutes of action.

Alcaraz is chasing his sixth Grand Slam title and second U.S. Open title, and he won in New York in 2022. He currently has 11 straight wins in the eighth-place ATP Masters 1,000 title in Cincinnati. If he continues to lift the trophy, Alcaraz will surpass Jannik Sinner to regain world No. 1 in the PIF ATP rankings for the first time in two years. If Sina loses to Felix Auger-Aliassime late Friday, or no one goes to the finals, he will also return to the top spot.

With a Tour-leading 59 wins and six titles in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Alcaraz looks in good standing to better his career-best tally of 65 wins and six trophies from 2023. The Spanishard has reached the final at his past seven events and has already stamped his ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals, held from 9-16 November in Turin.

Djokovic beat Taylor Fritz to join Sinner, the second man to reach the semifinals in only all four majors this year. The Serbian chased his first Grand Slam final of the season, trying to win the record 25th major and breaking the recent dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz, who won seven majors in the past. Djokovic’s last major championship was on the grass in Flushing in 2023, when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final.

The 38-year-old bid to become the second-largest major finalist in the Open era after Ken Rosewall, with a record of 37-15 in the main semifinals and a four-time U.S. Open champion.

In front of a crowd in New York, Alcaraz flew out of the block and broke Djokovic’s serve in the opening game. Despite several agile backhand titles from Djokovic, Alkaraz is still in most of the games in the first set. He sometimes forced the Serbs out of balance with the weight of his shooting, often hitting his forehand at speeds of more than 80 mph. Djokovic also fought for his first serve, winning only 65% ​​(13/20) points in his first delivery.

Djokovic discovered his first decisive blow to the game when he broke Alcaraz after the backhand at the age of 22. However, from 3-0, he was unable to keep the second seed out. Alcaraz imagined a breakout point with a 2-3 score as he waved forehand champion Crosscourt on the ground 2-3 and then converted the opportunity to level.

The Spaniard made an uncompulsory mistake of Bidjokovic in the scene and showed signs of frustration in the usual reliable down shot. However, he stuck to the task at hand and performed well in the tiebreak, standing near the baseline, opening his shoulders and driving through the court.

did you know?
Alcaraz aims to be the fifth person in the open era, joining an elite group before the age of 23, including Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Mats Wilander and Jim Courier.