Novak Djokovic, after reaching his record 53rd Grand Slam semifinal, vowed to disrupt the anticipated US Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, acknowledging their dominance while aiming to win his 25th Grand Slam title.
The World No.7 and Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has sent a strong message to those who are expecting or predicting the final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the US Open 2025. Djokovic entered the semifinal by defeating Taylor Fritz in four sets in the quarterfinals, keeping his quest alive for the record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
The 38-year-old entered his 53rd Grand Slam semifinal, breakingChris Evert’s record of 52 Major semifinal appearances, a mark she last set at the 1989 Wimbledon Championships. He also equalled the former World No.1 Jimmy Connors’ record of 14 semifinal appearances at the Grand Slam. With a record-breaking spree, the Serbian has continued his impressive run of form in his 19th appearance at the New York Major.
With a quarterfinal win, Novak Djokovic will face off against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal, which will take place on Saturday, September 6. However, fans are mostly looking forward to the US Open singles’ final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the two young stars who have dominated headlines since last season.
‘I’m going to try to mess up the plans’
Following the quarterfinal victory against Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic was asked about people’s expectations of the final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic hailed both ‘best players in the world’, while hoping to disrupt their anticipated showdown. However, the Serbian admitted that Sinner and Alcaraz are the force to be reckoned with.
“We know they’re the two best players in the world. Everybody’s probably expecting the final between them. I’m going to try to mess up the plans of most of the people,” Djokovic said.
“Let’s see. Sinner still has to win a couple of matches to get to the finals, but they are definitely playing the best Tennis and been a dominant force since the beginning of the tournament,” he added.
Scroll to load tweet…
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been dominating the ATP tour since last year, having faced off seven times from 2024 till now. This season, Alcaraz and Sinner locked horns in four finals, with the Spaniard winning at the Rome Masters, Roland Garros, and Cincinnati Masters, while the Italian clinched her maiden Wimbledon Championships.
Djokovic vs Alcaraz’s semifinal showdown
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have met only once in the ongoing calendar year, with Djokovic defeating the Spaniard in the Australian Open quarterfinal.
Overall, Djokovic and Alcaraz faced off 8 times in their career, with the Serbian leading 5-3. The last time two locked horns in the semifinal of a Grand Slam was at the French Open in 2023, where Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in three sets. Since then, both faced off in the finals of the Majors, both at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, where the Spaniard triumphed on both occasions.
The rivalry has been the most talked about ever since Alcaraz stunned the tennis world by defeating Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final, and their upcoming semifinal clash at the US Open 2025 adds another chapter to their rivalry, promising a high-stakes showdown between two champions from different generations, each vying for supremacy on the biggest stage.