Knockout: Superb Alcaraz Sweeps Djokovic for Second US Open Final

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 5, 2025
Photo credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty

NEW YORK—Dancing near the service line, Novak Djokovic was frozen by a rainbow lob gleaming off Carlos Alcaraz’s black-and-yellow Babolat racquet.

Then, Djokovic did the only thing that could be done: Applaud the audacious shot making shining from the Spaniard.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz turned the 38-year-old depleted champion into an appreciative audience in the final stages of his 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 US Open semifinal victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium today.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz surged into his seventh career Grand Slam final—and first Flushing Meadows final since 2022 when he defeated Casper Ruud for his maiden major and the world No. 1 ranking. 

It is Alcaraz’s 12th straight victory as he continues to compete with blistering brilliance in New York. Alcaraz is the first man since Roger Federer in 2015 to reach the US Open final without surrendering a set.

“For me it’s great. It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year in general,” Alcaraz said. “Just not having up-and-downs in the match. Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.

“So I’m thinking I’m doing that in this tournament, which I’m really proud about. Yeah, let’s see. But, yeah, probably I’m just getting mature. I just getting to know myself much better, what I need on, off the court. The things that I’m doing off the court I think I’m doing really, really well, which help a lot, and to play my best tennis. I think it’s getting better.”

How dominant is Alcaraz in full flight here? Alcaraz has held serve in 84 of 86 service games, raising his record to an ATP-best 60-6 in soaring to his eighth straight final since bowing to David Goffin at the Miami Open last March.

“I mean it’s a great feeling once again the final here in the US Open—it feels amazing to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “Today, it wasn’t the best level of the tournament for me, but I just keep a good level from the beginning to the last point. 

“I served really well .I think that was very important. I tried to play a really physical match—I think I did it. I played a really really good match just happy to play my second final here at the US Open.”

Spare a thought for 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who received massive crowd support and walked off—for possibly the last time in New York—to a standing ovation. Djokovic threw everything at Alcaraz, including serving-and-volleying in the later stages, but Alcaraz’s all-court acumen, explosive athleticism and flair for the decisive strike were simply too much for the four-time US Open champion.

A philosophical Djokovic was straight-forward in his post-match assessment: the former No. 1 was pleased with his level but concedes at 38 he can’t beat the world’s top two in best-of-five sets anymore.

“I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” Djokovic said. “Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set. I think
I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going.

“That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it’s like the end stages of the Grand Slam.”

The second-seeded Spaniard will play for a $5 Million champion’s check—and aim to regain the world No. 1 ranking—when he faces either world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or 25th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s 2 p.m. final.

Should Sinner and Alcaraz meet, it would mark the first time in Open Era history the same two men faced off in three consecutive Grand Slam finals in the same season. Rafael Nadal and Djokovic met in four straight major finals from the 2011 Wimbledon through the 2012 Roland Garros, however that was over a two-season span.  

“You know, if I’m playing against Jannik, obviously I’m going to take things about the last matches that I’ve played against him,” said Alcaraz, who led Sinner, 5-0, in last month’s Cincinnati Open final when the Italian retired. “The last one or the last three matches, I’m going to take note, and I will see what I did wrong, what I did great in the matches, just to approach the final in a good way. Let’s see.”

The Grand Slam king’s vaunted two-handed backhand is one of tennis’ most classic strokes. Today, Alcaraz’s ballistic ball striking—and explosive speed around the court—broke that stroke down at times.

Contesting his 53rd Grand Slam semifinal, Djokovic floated a backhand beyond the baseline as Alcaraz broke to open the match.  

As Hall of Famers Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Stefan Edberg and Patrick Rafter, actor Rami Malek, NBA star Jimmy Butler, golfer Sergio Garcia and rock star Jon Bon Jovi watched from the box, Alcaraz backed up the break at 30 for 2-0 after 11 minutes. 

Though he wasn’t regularly landing his first serve, Alcaraz was punishing any mid-court balls he saw. Slamming a 99 mph forehand winner helped the Spaniard hold for 4-2 after 33 minutes to play. 

Serving for the set, Alcaraz blitzed a 111 mph ace wide then drew successive netted forehand returns wrapping up the opening set in 48 minutes.

An energetic Alcaraz was quick off the mark and the most explosive player, particularly off his ballistic forehand. Alcaraz won 15 of 19 first-serve points and cranked five forehand winners in the set.

Wreaking havoc from all over the court, Alcaraz was scrambling near the blue back wall when he fired a forehand pass that Djokovic could not handle to reach love-30 in the first game of the second set. 

The four-time champion stood his ground then changed direction with a dazzling forehand strike down the line to hold in the opening game of set two. 

Fifty-nine minutes into the match, Alcaraz lost some accuracy committing four unforced errors. Djokovic dabbed a lob over the Spaniard’s head drawing a backhand error to break for a 2-0 lead—it was the first time Alcaraz dropped serve since round two.

Celebrating with a massive uppercut, Djokovic lifted his level going up 3-0.  That break lead was short lived.

Acrobatic body control and improvisational racquets skills are Alcaraz assets—he showed both flicking a forehand pass by Djokovic. When the Serbian shoveled a backhand into net, Alvarez broke back for 2-3. 

Sharp anticipation aids the 38-year-old Serbian against opponents more than a decade younger. But even a prescient Djokovic couldn’t envision when Alcaraz faked the drop shot and bunted a forehand into the corner holding to level after six games.

Serving at 4-all, Djokovic opened with a double fault then barked frustrations at his box. Reading his opponent’s drive, Alcaraz lashed a smooth backhand down the line for love-30. 

A hard-hitting 27-shot rally—the longest exchange of the match—ended with Alcaraz crashing a backhand into the tape. Alcaraz sent Djokovic on the defense, clearing a wide swath of court only to bump a drop shot into the tape. A frustrated Alcaraz kicked at his towel box before Djokovic whizzed the wide serve holding for 5-4. 

In the tiebreaker, a lunging Alcaraz was off the doubles alley when he flicked a fantastic forehand return thwarting the Djokovic serve-and-volley for the opening mini break. 

The pair engaged in a drop-shot duel before Djokovic lofted a lob to get back the mini break at 1-2 sparking screams of “Nole! Nole!” from engaged Ashe Stadium fans. Clubbing a jolting forehand, Alcaraz regained the mini break on the fourth point. Trying to shorten points in the face of the Spaniard’s volatile firepower, Djokovic pushed a dropper into the middle of the net falling behind 1-4. 

Champions collaborated on some sensational shotmaking. Alcaraz dabbed a dropper, Djokovic ran it down sifting a sharp-angled reply that left the Spaniard sprawling into a near split losing his Babolat stick in the process for 3-4.

Eyeing the serve box, Alcaraz went nuclear with a 131 mph missile down the T for double set point at 6-4. When Djokovic missed a backhand return wide, Alcaraz seized a two-set lead after one hour, 51 minutes.

The 22-year-old Spaniard raised a clenched fist to his box. 

Trudging slowly to his court-side seat, the 38-year-old took treatment from the trainer on his serving shoulder. Detonating heavier drives helped Alcaraz rally from a 0-3 break down in the set.

 The 2022 US Open champion owned an imposing 52-0 record in majors when winning the first two sets.   

Fatigue sapped strength from the Serbian’s legs as Djokovic’s serve speed dipped and he dumped a double fault into net to face double break point in the fourth game. Djokovic tripped his second double fault of the game off the tape gifting the break and a 3-1 lead to the Roland Garros champion as he swiped sweat off his face with the bottom of his blue shirt.

On match point, Djokovic tried one final serve and volley, but pushed his low forehand volley long ending an entertaining two hour, 23-minute semifinal.

At net, the GOAT and COAT—the game’s most creative player—met at net and shared smiles and a warm embrace.