Carlos Alcaraz Eyes Novak Djokovic ‘Revenge’ as US Open Clash Rekindles Painful Past

When you are Carlos Alcaraz but still try to avoid one particular opponent in Grand Slam, it speaks volumes of the mental pressure. In the case of 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic, it seems true. After the Serbian bested the Spaniard earlier this season in Melbourne, the 22-year-old, five-time major winner only had one helpless confession to make. According to him, playing against Djokovic at slams “is the worst thing.” During the quarterfinal battle of the Australian Open, he came back from being a set down and went on to snatch the victory from Alcaraz, leaving the latter heartbroken. Now that they are locked in for yet another showdown at the US Open, the question remains: is the Spaniard willing to settle the scores this time?

Alcaraz beat Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals on Tuesday in straight sets. With a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, he made it to his fourth semifinal of a slam this season. Interestingly, he hasn’t dropped a set just yet at the ongoing US Open in New York. While the current form has been stellar, now it seems like he will have to double down in order to face his next opponent – Novak Djokovic. The latter confirmed his semifinal clash with Alcaraz after besting local favorite and World No.4 Taylor Fritz on Tuesday night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Even before his semifinal opponent was confirmed, Alcaraz made his intentions clear. Especially for Djokovic. Seems like the Spaniard is focusing on nothing but taking revenge for that QF loss down under. During a post-match press conference, Alcaraz admitted, “We all know Novak’s game. It doesn’t matter that he’s been out of the tour since Wimbledon, playing great matches here (New York). I know he’s hungry, I know his ambition for more. So let’s see.” However, he then underlined that “I really want to (take) revenge” having played against the Serbian a lot recently. And guess what? It’s the latter who enjoys a phenomenal H2H record against the youngster.

For the uninitiated, Djokovic currently leads 5-3 against Alcaraz. Even in their last two crucial encounters, the Serbian managed to beat him in a thrilling manner. Last year in Paris, during the Olympics, the 38-year-old bested the young blood in straight sets to win the gold medal and complete his Career Golden Slam. Then earlier this year, he edged Alcaraz out in the QF stage of the Australian Open to prove his supremacy over the 22-year-old.

But now there’s no time to look back and stay upset. Alcaraz will need to pull all stops in order to defeat Djokovic. However, the latter is all set to disrupt the Spaniard’s plans. Especially when it comes to his anticipated US Open final showdown with Jannik Sinner.

Novak Djokovic issues ‘final’ warning to Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner

The Serbian earned his place in the semis of the US Open on Tuesday night after besting American Taylor Fritz. Djokovic won the first two sets but the 27-year-old snatched the third, delaying the outcome. However, the 24-time slam king managed to emerge victorious after capturing the fourth set.

Djokovic is now in his 53rd semifinal of a Grand Slam, where he will meet Alcaraz. He also knows that the growing rivalry of the Spaniard and Sinner has been garnering huge attention nowadays. Especially during slams, following their last two final meetings in Paris and then London. In case Alcaraz beats Djokovic and Sinner also makes his way to the ultimate battle, fans may get to see a third-straight slam final between the World No.1 and No.2.

However, Djokovic wishes to be a disruptor at the moment. After his quarterfinal win, he shared a bold message. “We know that they are the two best players in the world. Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between the two of them. I’m going to try to mess up the plans of most of the people,” he said, as reported on the ATP Tour’s website on September 3.

“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 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.” While Alcaraz has revenge on his mind, the Serbian is eyeing his 25th major title. Who will succeed in their objective? Only time will tell.

Do follow our live US Open blog for all the latest real-time updates from the Flushing Meadows. Meanwhile, guess who we caught up with for an exclusive chitchat at Flushing Meadows? Nick Kyrigos!