2025 US Open – Novak Djokovic ready to spoil Sinner-Alcaraz party
Djokovic’s 24th and most recent Grand Slam title came at the US Open in 2023, as he chases that record-breaking 25th major against the sport’s new guard of Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz.
The four-time US Open winner was not best pleased with his quarter-final efforts, committing eight double faults with 40 unforced errors. He managed to remain resolute throughout the affair to make it 11 wins out of 11 against USA number one Fritz.
“I thought for my standards that I wasn’t playing well. I didn’t feel the ball as well as I did in the third round,” Djokovic explained. “Taylor is a kind of player who, if you allow him to play, he’s going to try to dictate, be aggressive, stay close to the line. He’s going to take his forehands and punish you. I was just trying to survive, stay in the rally, make him play.”
The 38-year-old played a resolute service game by saving 11 break points throughout the four sets, also winning more than half of his points on second serve. Even when he was broken for the first time in the second set, he returned break and clinched the set.
For the Olympic gold medallist, he is not oblivious to the challenge of taking on the top two in the world, evidenced in the rankings and Grand Slam results of the last two years; since Djokovic’s last triumph, every major has been won by Sinner or Alcaraz.
“We know that they are the two best players in the world,” Djokovic said of the new kids on the block. “Everybody’s probably expecting and anticipating the finals between the two of them. I’m going to try to mess up the plans of most people.
“They’ve been a dominant force since the beginning of the tournament. But I’m not going to go with the white flag [to surrender] on the court. I don’t think anybody really does when they play them, but definitely not me.”