US Open . Men’s Singles
Carlos Alcaraz is set to face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2025 US Open, renewing one of the most electrifying rivalries modern tennis has seen. In less than two years, their paths have collided on the biggest stages: all four Grand Slam tournaments and even the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
That Olympic final, where Djokovic triumphed, left a scar on Alcaraz that lingered for weeks. And it is not his only unfinished business with the Serbian legend. Djokovic has won their last two encounters and four of their last five overall. Yet, the two occasions when Alcaraz has broken through came at the most symbolic of battlegrounds—back-to-back Wimbledon finals, in the very garden of Djokovic himself.
Hard courts, however, remain Djokovic’s territory. He has claimed victory in all three of their previous duels on the surface: the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final, the 2023 ATP Finals semifinal, and most recently, the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. That last clash was cut short by an injury that forced Djokovic to withdraw before the semifinal.
Alcaraz arrives in New York’s semifinals in imperious form, dismantling world No. 21 Jiří Lehečka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. He has yet to drop a single set throughout the tournament and has now won 44 of his last 46 matches. “We know they are the two best players in the world. Everyone is expecting and hoping for a final between us, but I’ll try to spoil those plans,” Djokovic said after defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz continues to assert his consistency at the highest level. He has reached the final in seven consecutive tournaments, falling short only twice: at the Barcelona Open, where an injury forced him to later withdraw from Madrid, and at Wimbledon, where Jannik Sinner—his new co-rival at the summit of men’s tennis—claimed the crown.
The stage is now set in New York for another epic chapter. Alcaraz versus Djokovic—two generations colliding once more, with history, revenge, and legacy on the line.