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.
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