Carlos Alcaraz on Novak Djokovic US Open SF: 'I want revenge'

ATP Tour

Alcaraz on Djokovic US Open SF: 'I want revenge'

Rivals to meet for the first time since Djokovic's four-set win in Melbourne in January

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour Novak Djokovic leads Carlos Alcaraz 5-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. By Jerome Coombe

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are set to renew their thrilling Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry in a blockbuster semi-final at the US Open on Friday, with both men chasing milestones that could reshape the season.

For the four-time champion Djokovic, the mission is clear: halt a run of three consecutive semi-final defeats at the majors in 2025 and strengthen his push for a record-extending 25th major title. Across the net, Alcaraz stands determined and unbeaten in sets in New York, hungry not only to reach his first hard-court major final since 2023, but also to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in two years.

Revenge also fuels the 22-year-old Spaniard, who has been outplayed by Djokovic in their last two marquee encounters — a four-set quarter-final at the Australian Open in January and a heart-wrenching defeat in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics last year.

“Novak, we all know Novak's game… It doesn't matter that he has been out of the Tour since Wimbledon. [He’s] playing great matches here. I know he's hungry. I know his ambition for more, so let's see,” said Alcaraz. “I know I played a lot of times against him. I really want revenge. That's obvious.”

If the early rounds in New York exposed Djokovic’s vulnerability, the second week has showcased the full force of his mental and tactical game. After navigating concerns over his fitness, the 38-year-old delivered a clinical display to dismantle Jan-Lennard Struff in the fourth round, then ousted last year’s finalist Taylor Fritz in four after a testing battle.

Yet, his body remains the central question mark. Djokovic admitted after his third-round win that he was ‘the most concerned [he’d] ever been’ about his physical state at a major, a worry that still lingers into the semi-finals.

“The next couple of days is really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it's needed. would love to be fit enough to play and to play potentially five sets with Carlos,” said Djokovic, who leads Alcaraz 5-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I'd rise to the occasion.

“Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage. It's just that I'm not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But I'm going to do my very best with my team to be fit for that. There's going to be a lot of running involved, that's for sure. It's not going to be short points.”

Since finishing runner-up at the US Open 18 years ago in 2007, Djokovic has only twice failed to reach at least one major final in a season: 2009 and 2017, when he skipped the year's final Grand Slam tournament.

But if he is to prevail against Alcaraz, Djokovic must repeat the strategy that worked so effectively in Melbourne, where he imposed himself in bruising baseline exchanges and suffocated the Spaniard's flair with unrelenting depth and pace. That same blueprint turned their Australian Open clash into an instant classic, filled with absorbing rallies but ultimately defined by the Serbian’s control.

Alcaraz, however, has plenty at stake of his own. Already on an 11-match winning streak after lifting the Cincinnati title, the Spaniard’s surge could see him leapfrog Jannik Sinner back to World No. 1, provided he matches or betters the Italian’s result in New York.

And with a Tour-leading 59 wins and six titles in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Alcaraz has not only secured his Nitto ATP Finals berth, but also underlined his status as the season’s most dominant force.

Alcaraz’s serve has been pivotal during his bid for a second US Open crown. He has dropped serve just once through his five matches and is the fourth man since 1995 to reach that stage without dropping serve more than twice.

Players to reach US Open semi-finals without dropping serve more than twice (since 1995)

Player Service games won US Open result G. Rusedski (1997) 71/73 Final R. Federer (2007) 79/81 Title R. Nadal (2010) 76/77 Title R. Nadal (2013) 67/67 Title R. Federer (2015) 67/69 Final C. Alcaraz (2025) 68/69 In SF

* statistical research by Jon Jeraj

Still, the challenge ahead is formidable. Djokovic’s forehand cross, the weapon that has haunted him before, remains lethal. It was that very shot — struck twice on the run in a critical second-set tie-break in Paris last year — that left Alcaraz stranded and in tears as Djokovic claimed his first Olympic gold medal.

The same strike tore through Fritz in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, a reminder that the Serbian can turn defence into destruction in an instant.

While Alcaraz has surged to first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in 2025, Djokovic has endured a year of extremes, with early exits at ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Monte-Carlo and Madrid balanced by ultra-clean consistency on the Grand Slam stage.

Now, Alcaraz and Djokovic will collide once more with a place in Sunday’s final on the line.

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