Novak Djokovic has some plans to disrupt. If everyone at the US Open is looking ahead to a third consecutive grand slam final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Djokovic believes he could yet have his say. His road to a record 25 grand slam title will likely run through the two best players in the world, starting with Alcaraz in the semi-finals on Friday.
At 38, Djokovic has already defied what was considered possible, becoming the oldest man to reach all four grand slam semi-finals in the same season. It is, once again, testament to his longevity, but Djokovic does not turn up to grand slams to reach the semi-finals. The problem, yet again, is those who remain. “Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between the two of them,” Djokovic said. “I’m going to try to mess up the plans of most of the people.”
Having defeated Taylor Fritz shortly before midnight in New York on Tuesday, Djokovic will have an extra day to prepare for facing Alcaraz in his semi-final. With Djokovic expecting to go the distance against the Spaniard, it could be decisive. He arrived at his semi-finals against Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon with his tank emptied by his previous efforts, while his body let him down at the semi-final stage against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, leading to his retirement after one set.
By then, Djokovic had prevailed against Alcaraz in four sets of their Melbourne quarter-final. Their meeting in New York will be the next chapter in their inter-generational rivalry, with Djokovic leading the head-to-head with five wins to three. That includes the last two, the Australian Open quarter-final in January where Alcaraz admitted to losing his concentration after leading by a set, and the Olympics final last July where Djokovic produced an all-time performance to complete the career golden slam.
“I’m going to try to take one day at a time” Djokovic said. “Really take care of my body. Try to relax and recover. 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. I just would really love that. Would love to be fit enough to play and to play potentially five sets with Carlos. I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.”
Djokovic is going to find a different Alcaraz on the other side of the net. The five-time grand slam champion’s rapid development, pushed on by his rivalry with Sinner, means the 22-year-old has brought perhaps his best-ever level through the first five rounds of this year’s US Open. Alcaraz, with his new-look buzz-cut, has been locked-in from the start and is yet to drop a set, while the lapses in focus that have previously side-tracked the Spaniard during early rounds have so far been eliminated.
Alcaraz appears to be playing with a point to prove, which is incredibly dangerous for everyone else. His already explosive, show-stopping game feels as if it has been sharpened by his defeat in the Wimbledon final to Sinner, while he has returned to the US Open determined to put right last year’s shock second-round exit to Botic van de Zandshulp. A semi-final with Djokovic only adds to the motivation. “I really want revenge,” Alcaraz said bluntly. “That’s obvious.”
The lesson Alcaraz took from his Australian Open defeat to Djokovic also adds to the challenge facing the 38-year-old. After Djokovic limped off the court a set down, Alcaraz said he made a “big mistake” in thinking the match was over and losing his intensity, as his opponent then rallied from behind. His growing maturity on the court means it is unlikely Alcaraz will fall for the same trick again. “How you show the opponents how you feel is really important,” Alcaraz said after beating Jiri Lehecka. He will have learned that Djokovic is always dangerous, even if the physical signs suggest otherwise.
In their eight previous meetings, Djokovic has lost to Alcaraz when the Spaniard has been 19, 20 and 21. But even while Alcaraz has triumphed in back-to-back Wimbledon finals, Djokovic has been the opponent to exploit his inexperience. Another year later, Alcaraz had no choice but to become more rounded, more guarded. It leaves Djokovic with an even higher mountain to climb.
“I definitely am not going with a white flag on the court,” Djokovic said. “ I don’t think anybody does really when they play them, but particularly not me. I put myself in another semi-finals of a grand slam this year.
“I have been very consistent, most consistent on slams this season, and that’s what I said at the beginning of the year, where I would like to perform my best tennis and make the best results. Here we are. I have another chance, another shot. Hopefully I can be fit enough and play well enough to keep up with Carlos. Then it can be anybody’s match.”
