Novak Djokovic could face arguably the toughest test in tennis right now if he wants to win a historic 25th Major title at the US Open. The 38-year-old will take on Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semi-final, and then may have to face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the championship match on Sunday if he beats the Spaniard.
Sinner and Alcaraz have faced off in the last two Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz saved three championship points to defend his French Open crown, and Sinner got revenge to win Wimbledon a few weeks later. They’re primed to meet in the US Open final, where they’d also play for the world No. 1 spot. But Djokovic wants to “mess up” those plans.
Aged 38, Djokovic has now reached the semi-finals of all four Majors this year. He was forced to retire injured while facing Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, and then lost to Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
This time, he wants to go all the way. But he has a tall task ahead of him. First, the four-time former champion in Flushing Meadows will meet Alcaraz, then he’s expecting Sinner to make the final from the other side of the draw. And he’s ready to spoil their party.
“We don’t need to spend words about the two of them. We know that they are the two best players in the world. Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between two of them,” Djokovic said after beating Taylor Fritz in the quarters.
“I’m going to try to, you know, mess up the plans of most of the people.
“Let’s see. You know, Sinner still has to win a couple of matches to get to the finals. But they are playing definitely the best tennis of any player here. They have been the dominant force since the beginning of the tournament.”
Djokovic is well aware that it will be very difficult to get past both young champions, but he won’t go down without a fight.
He added: “But, you know, I definitely am not going with a white flag on the court. I don’t think anybody does really when they play them, but particularly not me.
“I put myself in another semi-finals of a Grand Slam this year. I have been very consistent, most consistent on Slams this season, and that’s what I said at the beginning of the year, where I would like to perform my best tennis and make the best results.
“Here we are. I have another chance, another shot. Hopefully, as I said, I can be fit enough and play well enough to keep up with Carlos. Then it can be anybody’s match.”
While Sinner has beaten him the last five times they’ve played, Djokovic can take solace from the fact that he has a winning 5-3 head-to-head against Alcaraz, and he won their last match in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
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