Novak Djokovic booked a blockbuster US Open semi-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, while defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the last four without lifting a racquet.
Djokovic ended Taylor Fritz’s hopes of becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam since 2003, securing a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 38-year-old Serbian, chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, sealed victory after Fritz double-faulted on match point in the final set’s 10th game. Djokovic showed visible relief after the intense three-hour, 24-minute battle.
“In this kind of match, a few points on either side decide the winner,” Djokovic said. “It was incredibly close, really anybody’s match.”
Fritz, the fourth seed, converted just two of 13 break points, missing key chances early on, including five break points at 4-3 in the first set. Djokovic escaped trouble and took the set, then regained control after Fritz briefly leveled the second.
While the American rallied to claim the third set, Djokovic raised his level again to close out the match in the fourth.
“I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set,” Djokovic admitted. “I think for most of the second and third sets, he was the better player.”
Next, Djokovic faces Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz in a highly anticipated semi-final on Friday.
Alcaraz, the second seed and reigning Wimbledon champion, was in dominant form during a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka. The 22-year-old needed just 1 hour and 56 minutes to advance, maintaining his flawless run at this year’s tournament — he’s yet to drop a set.
“I played a really — or almost — perfect match,” said Alcaraz, who has now won 35 of his last 36 matches since May. “It feels like just two more steps to go. I’m feeling great and hungry to make it.”
Sabalenka reaches semis without playing
In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals after her quarter-final opponent, Marketa Vondrousova, withdrew due to a knee injury.
The walkover keeps alive Sabalenka’s bid to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open title since Serena Williams in 2014. The Belarusian expressed sympathy for Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion.
“So sorry for Marketa after all she’s been through,” Sabalenka said. “She’s been playing amazing tennis, and I know how badly this must hurt.”
Sabalenka has now reached the semi-finals or better at five consecutive US Opens. She will next face American fourth seed Jessica Pegula in a rematch of last year’s final.
Pegula reached the last four with a 6-3, 6-3 win over unseeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova, wrapping up the match in just 86 minutes. After early exits at recent tournaments in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, the 29-year-old has rediscovered her rhythm in New York.
“I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis,” Pegula said post-match. “It would be cool to get revenge, obviously,” she added, referencing her loss to Sabalenka in last year’s final.
