By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday September 3, 2025
Novak Djokovic is again within the US Open semifinals for the 14th time, however at 38 years outdated, the 24-time Grand Slam champion isn’t making any guarantees about how his physique will maintain up towards Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night time in New York.
“Let’s see in two days’ time,” Djokovic mentioned after his quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz. “Advantage of the schedule is now that I’ve two days with no match, in order that helps rather a lot. I don’t really feel very contemporary in the intervening time, however hopefully in two days it will likely be completely different.”
Djokovic has defeated Alcaraz of their final two encounters. He outlasted the Spaniard within the gold medal match on the Paris Olympics final summer time, then adopted it up with one other epic victory at this 12 months’s Australian Open. However he is aware of the 22-year-old goes to be a handful, given how effectively he has performed by way of 5 rounds, and is apprehensive about how a lot his physique might want to face up to bodily.
The Serbian has already made historical past this 12 months, changing into the oldest man to succeed in the semifinals in any respect 4 majors in a single season. However his unimaginable kind nonetheless hasn’t been adequate to maintain Sinner and Alcaraz from successful all three majors main into the Open. He performed effectively towards Sinner within the Roland-Garros semifinals however couldn’t get a set. At Wimbledon in July, he pulled up injured within the waning moments of his quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli and had little to provide in a straight-sets loss to Jannik Sinner within the semifinals.
“I positively am not going with a white flag on the court docket,” Djokovic mentioned. “I don’t assume anyone does actually once they play them, however notably not me. I put myself in one other semifinal of a Grand Slam this 12 months. I’ve been very constant, most constant on slams this season, and that’s what I mentioned in the beginning of the 12 months, the place I want to carry out my greatest tennis and make the most effective outcomes. Right here we’re. I’ve one other probability, one other shot. Hopefully, as I mentioned, I may be match sufficient and play effectively sufficient to maintain up with Carlos. Then it may be anyone’s match.”
Djokovic is anticipating a marathon.
“It’s not going to get simpler, I inform you that,” he mentioned. “The following couple of days is admittedly key for me to essentially get my physique in form and able to battle 5 units if it’s wanted. I simply would actually love that. Would like to be match sufficient to play and to play doubtlessly 5 units with Carlos. I do know that my greatest tennis goes to be required, however I’d rise to the event.”
And even when Djokovic will get by way of Alcaraz, he is aware of the job will solely be half performed. A probable closing showdown with Sinner, the person who stopped him chilly within the final two majors, may await on Sunday with a file twenty fifth main title on the road.
“Usually I prefer to play the large matches on a giant stage,” Djokovic mentioned. “It’s simply that I’m probably not certain how the physique goes to really feel within the subsequent few days. I’m going to do my best possible with my workforce to be match for that. There’s going to be a whole lot of operating concerned, that’s for certain. It’s not going to be brief factors.”
