US Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic to reach third straight grand slam final

Carlos Alcaraz demonstrated his youthful energy and innovative play style to overcome Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 at the US Open semifinals on Friday. The victory secured his place in his third consecutive Grand Slam final.Djokovic, feeling exhausted by the end, acknowledged his physical limitations. The 38-year-old Serbian reached the semifinals in all four Grand Slams this season but was eliminated at that stage each time, with three losses to either No. 2 Alcaraz, 22, or No. 1 Jannik Sinner, 24."It's frustrating on the court when you are not able to keep up with that level physically, but at the same time, it's something also expected, I guess. It comes with time and with age," Djokovic said.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Alcaraz will compete for the championship on Sunday against either defending champion Sinner or No. 25 Felix Auger-Aliassime, with President Donald Trump expected to attend. Sinner aims to become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer's five consecutive victories from 2004 to 2008.
Alcaraz remains undefeated in sets as he pursues his sixth major title and second at Flushing Meadows. His recent record against Sinner includes a victory at the French Open in June and a loss at Wimbledon in July.Since April, Alcaraz has maintained an impressive 44-2 record, reaching the finals in his last eight tour-level events."It's something that I'm working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year, in general. Just not having up-and-downs in (a) match. Probably, I'm just getting mature, just getting to know myself much better, what I need on, off the court," Alcaraz said.Alcaraz had previously lost his two most recent matches against Djokovic at the Paris Olympics last year and in the Australian Open quarterfinals this January."It's not easy playing against him, to be honest. I'm thinking about the legend; what he has achieved in his career. It's difficult not to think about it," he added.Djokovic's pursuit of a historic 25th Grand Slam title was halted again. He attributes part of the challenge to competing against younger players in best-of-five set matches, saying, "I still want to play ... (a) full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not, but ... Slams are Slams. They are just different from any other tournament. 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."Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated recent major championships, winning the past seven titles and nine of the last twelve. Djokovic claimed the other three, with his most recent victory at the 2023 US Open.Djokovic showed signs of physical discomfort throughout the match, struggling with his shots and receiving treatment for his neck. The crowd continued to support him with chants of "No-le!"During the second set, Djokovic briefly took control with a 3-0 lead. However, Alcaraz quickly recovered, winning the next three games."Today, I'd say, it wasn't the best level of the tournament for me, but I just kept a cool level (from) the beginning until the last point," the Serb added.Alcaraz appeared in a pink sleeveless shirt, sporting regrown hair after a recent buzz cut mishap involving his brother.When asked about maintaining his new look if he wins on Sunday, Alcaraz responded with a playful: "Even better. You will see. ... Surprise, surprise."