Novak Djokovic has set up a highly anticipated semi-final at the US Open against Carlos Alcaraz after a hard-fought victory over American Taylor Fritz.
Fritz, the fourth seed, consistently pressured Djokovic’s serve, but the Serbian star managed to fend off multiple break points and a challenging crowd to secure a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win.
Djokovic remarked that he felt “lucky” at times during the match, stating that “it was an incredibly close match, it could have gone either way. I think for most of the second and third sets, he was the better player.”
To reach the final and pursue a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic must now defeat second seed Alcaraz. The Spaniard, who is 16 years younger than Djokovic, secured his place in the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday with a swift 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech player Jiri Lehecka.
The remaining men’s singles quarter-finals are scheduled for today in New York, featuring eighth seed Alex de Minaur against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, followed by world number one Jannik Sinner facing fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Alcaraz, along with Sinner, has emerged as a powerful force in men’s tennis following the era dominated by Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.
With both Federer and Nadal now retired, Djokovic stands as the only active member of this legendary trio, and he is racing against time to capture his 25th major title, which would surpass Australia’s Margaret Court.
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In his match against Fritz, Djokovic demonstrated the resilience that has characterised his remarkable career.
He started strong, breaking Fritz’s serve in the opening game to take a 3-0 lead. After missing a set point at 5-2, he managed to fend off a comeback from Fritz, saving five break points before ultimately winning the first set.
Fritz continued to pose a threat in the second set but became increasingly frustrated as he missed several chances.
Djokovic seized the moment to take a 4-3 lead. Just as Djokovic was about to serve for a two-set advantage, Fritz finally converted his first break point after 11 attempts.
However, he then committed three double faults and an unforced error in the next game, allowing Djokovic to close out the set without further issues.
The atmosphere turned somewhat hostile during the third set when Djokovic expressed his frustration to the umpire about spectators shouting during his serve.
This led to some crowd members jeering Djokovic, while support for Fritz intensified as he capitalised on the disruption to break for a 4-1 lead.
Djokovic regained his focus in the fourth set and delivered the decisive blow at 5-4, with Fritz’s double fault sealing Djokovic’s place in the semi-finals after a gruelling match that lasted three hours and 24 minutes.
“That last game was nerve-wracking; it was a tough way for Taylor to finish with a double fault. He didn’t deserve that,” Djokovic commented.
