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  • Novak Djokovic sends US Open warning shot: ‘I can beat both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’

    Novak Djokovic believes that he can still beat both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, despite often facing them whilst possessing ‘half a tank.’

    The Serb is currently in the semi-finals of the 2025 US Open, set to face the Spaniard for a spot in the final.

    Djokovic has reached the last four at all of this season’s Grand Slams, but was been unable to collect a victory in any of those encounters.

    Despite not winning a title above ATP 250 level in 2025, he still believes that he can compete against the world’s best.

    “When I’m in shape and capable of playing my best tennis, I still believe I can beat both Alcaraz and Sinner,” stated the former world No 1, during an interview with SportKlub.

    “The most dangerous part is that I need to make a great effort, work very hard, and push my body to its limits to have the chance to face them.

    “It’s a bit of an unfair battle because their youth and current superiority allow them to arrive in full condition, while I already have half an empty tank.

    “That’s biology.”

    Djokovic has often made similar comments throughout this season, most recently after losing to Sinner at Wimbledon.

    The 24-time Grand Slam champion has lost all of his five most recent clashes against the Italian, collecting just two sets.

    At SW19, he was defeated 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 – although seemed to be compromised by hip pain – and, just four weeks prior, fell to Sinner, once again, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) at the French Open.

    On the other hand, despite their age difference, Djokovic has had greater success against Alcaraz than the world No 1, winning four of his five most recent matches.

    Most recently, the Serb rolled back the clock to defeat the Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of this season’s Australian Open.

    Overall, Djokovic leads his hard-court head-to-head 3-0 against Alcaraz – 5-3 across all surfaces.

    It is not surprising, then, that the tennis legend also revealed that he would rather face Alcaraz than Sinner.

    “One could say that it benefits me to play against Carlos in the semi-finals rather than against Jannik, at least, that’s what the latest results suggest,” he added.

    “In any case, in Australia and London, I arrived injured at the semi-final match and not now. Each match is a different story.

    “I know Alcaraz is the favourite, playing at an impressive level, but I hope to raise my game. These matches are what keep me competing.

    “It’s exciting to have the opportunity to beat the best currently.”

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    After his four-set victory over American Taylor Fritz in their last-eight clash, Djokovic made clear that he is hoping to stop a third consecutive Grand Slam final between the world’s two best players.

    “We don’t need to spend words about two of them,” he commented, during his post-match press conference.

    “You know, we know that they’re two best players in the world.

    “Everybody’s probably expecting and anticipating the finals between two of them.

    “I’m going to try to, you know, mess up the plans of most of the people and 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’ve been the dominant force since the beginning of the tournament, but, you know, I definitely am not going with the 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-final of a Grand Slam this year.

    “I’ve been very consistent, mostly consistent on the 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.”

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  • Are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz matching peak Djokovic, Nadal & Federer’s level? Rick Macci weighs in

    Legendary coach Rick Macci has shared his opinion on how Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s level of tennis compares to that of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at their peak.

    Since the start of 2024, Sinner and Alcaraz have been the two dominant players on the ATP Tour, and they have separated themselves from the chasing pack further in recent months.

    The duo have met in the finals at the last four tournaments they have entered: Cincinnati, Wimbledon, the French Open and the Italian Open. They are red-hot favourites to make it five straight final encounters at the 2025 US Open.

    Sinner and Alcaraz have captured the last seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four and the Spaniard claiming three.

    Alcaraz has not lost to a player besides Sinner since his defeat to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April. Sinner’s only defeat to a player other than Alcaraz since August 2024 came against Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open in June.

    Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Macci was asked if Sinner and Alcaraz’s current level is similar to that achieved by the Big Three in their respective primes.

    “Absolutely, I think you could even put [Pete] Sampras in there,” said Macci, who has coached five players who became world No 1, including Venus and Serena Williams.

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    “You know, I would put Sinner and Alcaraz, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Sampras… I think, all things being equal – technology, rackets, the string. Absolutely.

    “Here’s why: tennis is a game of inches from one era to another and the mental part, playing the big points, delivering the goods and getting your serve in on an AD-point.

    “These are microscopic things that happen in a tennis match and I’m just a firm believer of their technical base and their movement base – the guys I just mentioned – was so good and their athletic base was so good. But mentally, they were a cut above, that’s why they won all those Grand Slams.

    “So yeah, that would be a street fight like no other if you had all those guys in. Now when you start throwing… you go back farther and you start talking about players, it’s hard for me to even go there because they hit the ball very differently. Whether it be [Jimmy] Connors, [John] McEnroe, [Bjorn] Borg — you can’t even go down that.

    “I could maybe even throw [Andre] Agassi into this mix, you never know. But I wouldn’t go too far back. But 100%, because they have it between the ears, champions know how to deliver at crunch time.”

    Djokovic, Nadal and Federer make up the top three for the most men’s Grand Slam titles in tennis history with 24, 22 and 20 respectively. Alcaraz has won five majors, while Sinner sits on four.

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  • What Amanda Anisimova said ahead of US Open final clash with Aryna Sabalenka

    Amanda Anisimova has looked ahead to her 2025 US Open final showdown with Aryna Sabalenka after her thrilling win over Naomi Osaka in the last four at Flushing Meadows.

    The world No 9 clinched a 6-7(4) 7-6(3), 6-3 triumph over four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka in a semi-final contest lasting just shy of three hours in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

    In a battle of two of the finest ball strikers on the WTA Tour, Anisimova earned the only break of the deciding set to take a 3-1 lead and saved two break points when serving the match out.

    The American is through to her maiden US Open final and her second successive Grand Slam championship match after her brutal 0-6, 0-6 defeat to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

    Anisimova will face world No 1 and three-time major champion Sabalenka, who she downed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in an enthralling semi-final at Wimbledon in July. She holds a 6-3 record against the Belarusian.

    In her press conference after beating Osaka, Anisimova was asked what it says about her that she has been able to reach another Grand Slam final at the first opportunity after her painful Wimbledon defeat.

    “I think it just shows that I have worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up,” said the 24-year-old.

    “Like today, I could have easily said, ‘oh, she’s playing better than me, and I can’t really do anything’. I really tried to find any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough, and she was playing really great tennis.

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    “I think I have really worked on myself to really be able to handle those moments and to believe in myself, even when it feels like what is there to believe in, when you’re not playing that well.

    “I think I have really done a better job of that, and especially since the Wimbledon final. I think I have really shifted with my attitude as well.”

    Anisimova shared her thoughts on the final and playing Sabalenka again.

    “Yeah, I’m super excited, to be in the US Open final is really special and just gonna try and do all the right things and really prepare to be in the best possible mindset and physically,” she said.

    “But yeah, I’m really looking forward to it and I think it’s a great opportunity.

    “Yeah, I mean it’s the number one player in the world and she’s playing amazing tennis. It’s gonna be a really tough match and a battle. Yeah, I’m excited. Every single time we’ve played it’s been great.”

    Asked about her memories of playing Sabalenka, Anisimova added: “Yeah, we’ve had very tough matches.

    “A lot of them have actually been in Grand Slams, too. Especially early on in my career, but I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon.

    “It was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her. But yeah, I think that was the most special one for me.”

    READ NEXT: Who are Amanda Anisimova’s coaches? Rick Vleeshouwers and Rob Brandsma

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  • Tennis’ most controversial tournament gets new broadcaster as Netflix secures rights

    The second edition of the ‘6 Kings Slam’ will be shown on Netflix as the controversial tournament returns in October.

    The Saudi Arabian-backed tournament sees the six top male players travel to Riyadh to take part in a series of exhibition matches in which each will receive more than £1m in prize money just for turning up.

    The tournament, which Andy Murray once said “nobody cares” about, is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and offers players an obscene amount of money given the relatively few matches they take part in.

    Last year, Jannik Sinner won £4.8 million for playing just three matches as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

    Those two, alongside Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz, will take part in the 2025 edition set to run from October 15 to 18.

    And now Netflix have stepped in to acquire the rights to show the tournament, which has not yet announced the format, offering ‘unparalleled access with over 20 cutting-edge cameras.’

    It is the latest venture into live sports from the American streaming service having previously shown boxing, golf, WWE and the NFL.

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    The tournament though has been criticized by many voices who point to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, in particular surrounding gender inequality, while Murray has been one of few players to have negative comments around it.

    Following a trailer that teased last year’s tournament with the players dressed up in costumes, Murray responded to Liam Broady’s claim that he “Would watch this movie. 10/10” by saying: “Except it’s not a movie and you won’t watch it because it’s an exhibition tennis event that nobody cares about.”

    It is also part of a growing part of Saudi Arabia’s influence on tennis. The country is the host of the WTA Finals and has a five-year sponsorship of the WTA and ATP rankings.

    In January 2024, Rafa Nadal was appointed ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.

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  • Tennis legend Bjorn Borg reveals cancer diagnosis in new autobiography

    Bjorn Borg has revealed he has prostate cancer in his new autobiography, according to Swedish media reports.

    The 11-time Grand Slam winner is preparing for the release of his new book Heartbeats later this month, but early release copies sold on Amazon have revealed the passage where the 69-year-old reportedly confirms his diagnosis.

    According to Swedish outlet Expressen, the book has been “surrounded by great secrecy,” with the publisher not sending advance copies to reviewers, while the tennis star will be doing minimal interviews in promotion of its release.

    The book on the man who won five consecutive Wimbledon Championships has been co-authored by his wife Patricia, but the duo have reportedly not replied to Expressen’s requests to confirm the diagnosis, nor has the book’s publisher.

    As one of tennis’ most famous players, there has been much anticipation for the relase of the book with publisher Norstedts describing him as one of “Sweden’s most iconic international sports stars of all time.”

    “Bjorn Borg is one of Sweden’s most iconic international sports stars of all time, with a unique success story to tell,” said Norstedts Agency’s Rights Director Linda Altrov Berg. ​​​​​​

    “I know I’m not the only one eager to know all the things Borg has never revealed before – about his career, his life, his ups and downs. I’m very much looking forward to selling Patricia Borg’s story around the world.”

    Borg was born in Stockholm in June 1956 and went on to become one of the best male players to ever play the game.

    He turned pro at the age of 17 and won the French Open six times from 1974 to 1981. That record was beaten only by his performance at Wimbledon where he won five consecutive Championships.

    The Swede was also a four-time runner-up at the US Open, although he only ever played once at the Australian Open, reaching the third round in 1974.

    Borg had a number of rivalries during his career with the likes of Jimmy Connors, but his most notable was with John McEnroe, with their 1980 Wimbledon final often considered one of the great matches of all time.

    He retired at the young age of 26, citing burnout and a loss of motivation, but is still joint sixth on the all-time list for most Grand Slams by male players.

    Read next: Every word from Iga Swiatek’s press conference after US Open loss to Amanda Anisimova

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  • Emma Raducanu gives coach timeline update after positive first slam with ex-Rafa Nadal mentor

    Emma Raducanu has said she will continue to work with Francisco Roig until the end of the year following their first slam together.

    The British No.1 continued her improved form of the summer as she reached the third round of the US Open, going on to lose to No.9 seed Elena Rybakina.

    But the event in New York also saw former Rafa Nadal coach Roig in Raducanu’s box for the first time, a move that many see as a positive one for the 22-year-old’s career.

    As to how long he will be part of her coaching team, Raducanu confirmed that Roig will be alongside her until at least the end of the year.

    “Right now we’re working through to the end of the year, and I’m looking forward to just getting back to work really.

    “It’s only been three weeks, but I think it’s been a pretty successful three weeks in the sense of we’ve made good improvement, and I think there are certain parts of my game which have gotten better for sure.

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    “Well I haven’t spoken to him [Roig] so I don’t know exactly what his mentality or philosophy on tennis is, but he’s been there for so many years with top players, with Nadal, and he certainly has the experience.

    “I think you need to give it some time – you can’t after a month judge whether somebody’s a good fit or not – you should kind of know what their philosophy is before you sign up with them and then you need to buy into it and trust the process and trust in the coach that he or she knows what they’re doing and let it play out and take responsibility for yourself as well.”

    Roig, who spent 17 years coaching 22-grand slam winner Nadal, is already Raducanu’s eighth coach since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and the young Briton has been told that she should wait at least a couple of months before making a judgement.

    “I think you need to give it some time,” Martina Navratilova told Sky Sports. “You can’t after a month judge whether somebody’s a good fit or not – you should kind of know what their philosophy is before you sign up with them and then you need to buy into it and trust the process and trust in the coach that he or she knows what they’re doing and let it play out and take responsibility for yourself as well.

    “I haven’t spoken to him [Roig] so I don’t know exactly what his mentality or philosophy on tennis is, but he’s been there for so many years with top players, with Nadal, and he certainly has the experience.”

    In 2025, Raducanu has already played the most matches of a single year in her career and Navratilova said that more than any coach was the most important part of improving her game.

    “There’s no substitute for match play no matter how much you practise, how much you train,” Navratilova said.

    “It all comes down to proofs in the eating of the pudding. It all comes down to ‘can you do it during matches?’, and then once you get those matches under your belt then you can build up to it and say ‘okay, this part of what the coach is telling me is working really well or this part is not great or I’m not ready for it or this is not the right fit for me’.

    “It’s up to the player to see what works for them and make that decision, but matches tell you everything.”

    Raducanu is currently ranked 36th and aiming to be seeded for next year’s Australian Open.

    READ NEXT: Every word from Iga Swiatek’s press conference after US Open loss to Amanda Anisimova

     

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  • Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz: Who is in pole position for No 1 ranking at US Open?

    Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the favourites to meet for the third straight Grand Slam final at the 2025 US Open, and the world No 1 ranking will be on the line if the pair do face off.

    In the last four at Flushing Meadows, Sinner will take on world No 27 Felix-Auger Aliassime, while Alcaraz will play seventh seed and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

    Sinner has been the ATP world No 1 for 65 consecutive weeks since overtaking Djokovic to ascend to top spot for the first time in June 2024 — following last year’s French Open.

    Alcaraz became the youngest world No 1 in ATP history after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open at the age of 19 years and four months.

    The 22-year-old has spent 36 weeks of his career to date as the world’s highest-ranked player, with his most recent spell on top ending in September 2023.

    In the last event before the US Open, Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Masters after Sinner was forced to retire due to illness in the first set of the pair’s meeting in the final.

    Alcaraz, who is the world No 2, started the US Open on 9,590 points —  1,890 points behind Sinner, who had 11,480.

    While this was a sizeable gap, Sinner and Alcaraz’s respective performances at the 2024 US Open created the opportunity for there to be a change at the top of the rankings after this year’s event.

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    This is because Sinner is defending 2,000 points as the reigning champion, while Alcaraz is defending just 50 points after a shock second round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp last year.

    As things stand before the semi-finals, Alcaraz has increased his points total by 750 to 10,340 points, which has seen him take the No 1 spot from Sinner in the Live ATP Rankings.

    Sinner, who is 1,200 points down from his pre-tournament tally, is just 60 points behind Alcaraz on 10,280 points in the live standings.

    Therefore, if Sinner were to lose to Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals, Alcaraz would become world No 1 irrespective of whether he progresses any further.

    If Alcaraz were to fall to Djokovic, Sinner could guarantee that he would remain in top spot by reaching the final.

    If both Sinner and Alcaraz reach the final, the latter would still hold a 60-point edge, which means the winner would take both the US Open trophy and the world No 1 ranking.

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    Wins the title – 11,480 points

    Loses in the final – 10,780 points

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    Carlos Alcaraz US Open points permutations

    Wins the title – 11,540 points

    Loses in the final – 10,840 points

    Loses in the semi-finals – 10,340 points

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  • Every word from Iga Swiatek’s press conference after US Open loss to Amanda Anisimova

    Iga Swiatek’s bid to win a second US Open crown at the 2025 edition of the New York Grand Slam ended with a quarter-final loss to Amanda Anisimova, but what did the world No 2 say after the defeat?

    The 24-year-old Pole was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by world No 9 Anisimova, who she destroyed 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final less than two months ago to secure her sixth Grand Slam title.

    Swiatek‘s defeat to the 24-year-old American snapped her nine-match winning streak that included her run to the title at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati last month.

    Here is everything Swiatek said in the English section of her post-match press conference, including a tense exchange with a journalist who asked if she needed a “mental break.”

    Q. It’s been a pretty good summer for you. Didn’t end the way you wanted to. Does it take a while after a match like this for you to sort of have that perspective on the quality of the last few months and the results that you put up?

    Swiatek: No, because I know what I achieved, so I can’t erase it because I lost today. Yeah. So I kind of am aware. And also I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns. So I kind of get it.

    Q. That was kind of my question. Just how do you feel you played today? What were you kind of least satisfied with with your performance?

    Swiatek: Well, from the baseline, I felt it was, it was good. But yeah, I think the serve made the difference. She was winning, I guess more points from her serve. And I struggled a bit to sometimes make the first serve in and she returned well from second serve. So I guess that made a difference.

    Q. How is it for you going into a match where the last time you played someone, pretty recently too, it was 6-0, 6-0, how is it that you prepare for going to a match, knowing they’re doing something different but not knowing maybe exactly what. It’s an unusual situation to have.

    Swiatek: Honestly… well, it didn’t really matter for me. Like I think everybody knows how Amanda can play. Yeah, she didn’t play well on Wimbledon, but it’s not like she always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same. So no, I know that she’s a good player. She can play great tennis. So for me, I was like ready for a tough match and yeah, she won. So I guess, yeah, it didn’t matter.

    Q. Iga just how challenging is it when the match before yours goes four hours? Does it throw off your routine or is that a factor at all?

    Swiatek: No, you have to be ready for that on a Grand Slam. It’s not convenient, especially when the not befores are… they don’t make sense. Like, you have to be ready to play at one anyway because you have not before one. But then you wait because obviously how many times men’s match is going to finish in like one and a half hour or something, right? So just that’s tennis. You have to adjust to that. No point to overthink it

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    Q. Hi Iga. Tough luck today. Can you describe how different Amanda was as an opponent today compared to the Wimbledon final? Did her ball feel different to you? What was different?

    Swiatek: She played in. It was totally different. Yeah, but as I said, it’s not a surprise. I practice with her. I know how she can play. And, yeah, it was totally different. Like, she moved better, she played better. Yeah, everything was different.

    Q. Talking about the issues with the serve, do you chalk that up to maybe just feeling out of rhythm today, or was that maybe the pressure that Amanda was putting on you with return?

    Swiatek: No, I think I kind of maybe didn’t serve the best throughout the whole tournament, but I think because she returned so well that you could see the bigger difference. But on the other hand, I wasn’t practising in between matches anyway, so I kind of have to let it go and just focus on next one.

    Q. Just generally, it’s been a lot of tennis the last few weeks. Wimbledon, the American tournaments leading up to this, that now this. How tired are you at the moment?

    Swiatek: (Long pause) Well, I don’t know. Like, it’s not like my matches were exhausting here.

    Q. Do you feel like you need, like, a mental break? I’m not talking about the loss of such.

    Swiatek: Why would you say that?

    Q. I just wondered, you know, it’s just a lot. A lot in a row, you know, do you look forward to a break?

    Swiatek: Well, talk to people responsible for the schedule. We need to adjust. Do you need mental break?

    Q. Sorry?

    Swiatek: (Points at journalist) You look like you need mental break.

    Q. I do, yeah.

    Swiatek: Well, then what are you doing here?

    Q. Gotta get to the end of the tournament.

    Swiatek: Good luck.

    Q. What are your thoughts about what Amanda… how she processed the defeat at Wimbledon and came back from that.

    Swiatek: Well, I don’t know how she did that because I’m not her. Like, you need to ask her about the whole process, but I guess in tennis, like, you will get, like, heartbreaking losses and you don’t have other option. You just have to move on and try to play good next time.

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  • Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz’s 8 previous matches – ahead of US Open encounter

    As many expected when the draw was revealed, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face off for a ninth time in the semi-finals of the 2025 US Open.

    It will be the first time that the pair have met at the New York event, completing their Grand Slam collection of clashes.

    There is much on the line for both, with the Serb looking to make his first Grand Slam final in 14 months and the Spaniard aiming to book his spot in his first US Open final in three years.

    Alcaraz is yet to drop a set during the tournament, whilst Djokovic has battled his way through multiple physical issues, but, most recently, collected an impressive victory over world No 4 Taylor Fritz.

    A victory in the tournament would allow Alcaraz to return to the world No 1 spot for the first time since August 2023, whilst Djokovic would lift a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles trophy.

    2022 Madrid Open SF: Alcaraz 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5)

    The first encounter between the pair was a true thriller in every sense, providing for one of the best matches of the 2022 ATP Tour season – extending to three hours and 36 minutes.

    Alcaraz became the first player to beat Rafael Nadal and Djokovic in the same clay-court tournament, at just 19 years old, en route to the title (defeating Alexander Zverev in the final).

    2023 Roland Garros SF: Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1

    More than 12 months later, Djokovic and Alcaraz – who was now the world No 1 – met again, this time at Grand Slam level.

    The pair traded the first two sets with multiple breaks for both, with many of the points reminiscent of their Madrid clash, before the Spaniard suffered from major cramps in the third game of the third set.

    From there, Djokovic was simply ruthless, dropping just one addtional game, to move into yet another French Open final.

    2023 Wimbledon Final: Alcaraz 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

    Entering the 2023 SW19 final, Djokovic was on a 34-match winning streak at the event, having also not lost a match on Centre Court for 10 years.

    The first set saw Alcaraz looking lost, claiming just one game, before the Serb failed to convert on two set points in a crucial second-set tiebreak – with the Spaniard claiming it with a sensational backhand return winner.

    Alcaraz continued to momentum to take the third and looked firmly in control, however, in typical fashion, Djokovic extended it to a deciding set.

    The Spaniard broke in the third game of the fifth, ultimately serving it out on his first opportunity to claim his first Wimbledon title.

    2023 Cincinnati Open Final: Djokovic 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4)

    Just a few weeks later, the pair would contest the longest Masters 1000 final in ATP Tour history, with a three-hour, 49-minute clash.

    Alcaraz recovered from an early break to take the opener against an ailing Djokovic, before the roles were reversed in the second, with the latter saving a championship point via an impressive volley before sending the match to a third set.

    The decider would be a microcosm for the two sets that had preceded it as Djokovic would get off to a quicker start, but failed to serve out the match with Alcaraz saving a championship point before breaking back.

    Djokovic would be the more stable player in the tiebreak, with a return from the Spaniard going long as the champion fell to his back in exhaustion – and relief.

    2023 ATP Finals SF: Djokovic 6-3, 6-2

    After four matches in which both players won at least one set, their meeting in Turin would be a vastly different story.

    Djokovic, the defending champion, displayed his vast indoor experience to simply suffocate Alcaraz’s more physical game, reaching what was his ninth final at the year-end championships.

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    2024 Wimbledon Final: Alcaraz 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4)

    In a rematch of their final 12 months prior, Alcaraz and Djokovic reached the final in starkly different forms.

    The Serb had suffered a meniscus tear during his French Open campaign a few weeks prior, having to undergo surgery.

    Meanwhile, the Spaniard was coming off a maiden French Open title and looked like the man to beat at SW19.

    Ultimately, unlike their 2023 encounter, the compromised Djokovic was no match for Alcaraz, who claimed his fourth Grand Slam.

    2024 Olympic Final: Djokovic 7-6(3), 7-6(2)

    Just three weeks after their Wimbledon final, Djokovic produced one of the best showpiece match performances in his career to claim the singles gold medal in Paris.

    Neither player was broken in the final, with Alcaraz unable to match the consistent barrage of groundstroke aggression that was coming from the Serb’s racket.

    2024 Australian Open QF: Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

    The beginning of the 2025 season observed an eighth encounter between Djokovic and Alcaraz, one which contained much drama.

    Djokovic, who failed to win a Grand Slam in the season prior, led by an early break, before sustaining a hamstring injury, which aided an Alcaraz comeback to claim the first set.

    From there, the Serb never looked second best, marginally outplaying the Spaniard in nearly every category to claim an unlikely victory at 37 years old.

    The post Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz’s 8 previous matches – ahead of US Open encounter appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Who designed Naomi Osaka’s 2025 US Open outfit?

    Naomi Osaka is one of the most famous tennis players and athletes in the world, and is never afraid to make a big statement on or off the court.

    And, after her headline-making kit at the 2024 US Open, the former world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion’s outfit at the 2025 US Open has also attracted huge attention.

    Osaka’s outfit has been one of the best kits of this year’s US Open and has been one of the key talking points of her successful campaign, with the Japanese star back in top form.

    Here, we look at all you need to know about Osaka’s stunning kit on display in New York.

    Who designed Osaka’s US Open outfit?

    Osaka has been sponsored by Nike for the vast majority of her career, but — like in several of her major tournament appearances — the star has a custom kit on display in New York.

    The 23rd seed walked onto the court for her opening-round match against Greet Minnen wearing a custom red glitter kit, with an accompanying jacket and hair accessory.

    The outfit naturally attracted huge attention, and the 27-year-old delivered the performance to match it, prevailing in straight sets against the Belgian.

    Speaking after the match, the 2018 and 2020 US Open champion opened up about her special choice of outfit.

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    “It was really elaborate, because the crystals are really hard to do on a performance outfit,” said Osaka.

    “I just thought it would be really fun to do a New York under the lights. I’m glad that my first match was a night match, because this outfit was really fun to play.

    “This is my night outfit, so hopefully I’ll wear my day outfit next time.”

    Osaka got her wish to showcase her day outfit, with her next three matches taking place during afternoon sessions in New York.

    Wearing a purple version of her kit, the Japanese defeated Hailey Baptiste in the second round, before eye-catching wins over 15th seed Daria Kasatkina and third seed Coco Gauff.

    However, after three straight day matches, Osaka will return to night session action at the US Open on Wednesday, for her quarter-final clash against 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

    How much does Osaka’s kit cost?

    Because Osaka’s kit is custom-made, fans are unfortunately unable to buy it through Nike.

    However, they can still buy other parts of the former world No 1’s outfit.

    The red version of the Nike GP Challenge 1 “Naomi Osaka” shoes is available to purchase, priced at $170 through the official Nike website.

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    The post Who designed Naomi Osaka’s 2025 US Open outfit? appeared first on Tennis365.