Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam ended in the US Open 2025 semifinals with a straight-sets loss to Carlos Alcaraz. He admitted the younger stars, Alcaraz and Sinner, were “just too good,” highlighting the rising challenge in men’s tennis.
The World No.7 and Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s another chance at clinching a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title came to a halt following his semifinal defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open 2025 on Saturday, September 6. Djokovic was defeated by Alcaraz in three straight sets – 4-6, 6-7, 2-6, bringing an end to his bid for a record-breaking Grand Slam triumph.
The 38-year-old reached the semifinals of all Grand Slams this year, making him the oldest player to achieve this feat in a single season. However, he fell short against the Spaniard in their second meeting of the season after the Australian Open quarterfinal, where Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in four sets.
In the Grand Slams this year, Novak Djokovic mostly faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, winning just one match out of four outings against the young stars, highlighting the challenge posed by the new generation of tennis talent.
‘They’re just too good’
Speaking at the press conference after the semifinal defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic was asked about his struggles against Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In response, the Serbian hailed them as ‘too good’, having lost three Grand Slam matches this year while playing against two young sensations.
“You know, I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” the 24-time Slam winner said.
The 38-year-old admitted he was unable to match the intensity and energy of Carlos Alcaraz, adding that his energy levels went down after the second set.
“Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that, I was just I gassed out and, you know, he kept going,” he added.
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After losing the opening set, Novak Djokovic was looking to make a comeback in the second set by putting up a good fight against Carlos Alcaraz. He managed to push the set into a tiebreak, but ultimately fell short, losing 7–6.. In the third set, former World No.1 energy levels dipped, and Alcaraz capitalized, securing a straight-sets victory with a 6–2 win.
‘Very difficult for me to play them’
Further speaking about his struggle against Alcaraz and Sinner, Novak Djokovic admitted that it was difficult to play against two young stars, especially at the end stages of the Grand Slam.
“So that’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best of five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them, particularly if, like the end stages of the Grand Slam. Yeah,” he added.
Novak Djokovic has met Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner four times this season, all at Grand Slams, with his only victory between them coming against Alcaraz at the Australian Open quarterfinal. Sinner has been a threat to Djokovic more than Alcaraz, as he has a 6-4 head-to-head record over the Serbian in their career.
Sinner defeated Djokovic in their last five meetings, including semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, continuing his recent dominance and proving to be one of Djokovic’s toughest rivals this season.
Djokovic to prioritize Grand Slams next season
Speaking about his future after the semifinal defeat in the New York Major, Novak Djokovic expressed his commitment to playing the sport further by prioritizing Grand Slams next season, stating that they are ‘pillars of the sport’.
“I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. Let’s see whether that’s going to happen or not. Slams are Slams. They are just different from any other tournament,” Djokovic said.
“They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have. But I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three,” he added.
Following his US Open semifinal defeat, there is uncertainty over his participation in the Shanghai Masters, which is scheduled to take place on September 29. However, the 38-year-old is expected to return to action for the Paris Masters in order to prepare for the ATP Year-End Final in Turin, Italy, which will take place on November 9.