Carlos Alcaraz kept his laser focus throughout the US Open with a straight set win over Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz has not dropped a set in this year’s US Open. He has only lost his serve one time.
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic for the very first time on hard courts! pic.twitter.com/H2ONU47L0a
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2025
Alcaraz was all business and was not going to suffer a disappointing loss. That happened to him twice in the past year against Djokovic, during the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics and at the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open.
Djokovic looked physically hampered after the second set tiebreaker, and it became apparent that he was not going to be able to muster the movement and shotmaking to defeat Alcaraz.
This is the first win for Alcaraz over Djokovic on the hardcourts.
Djokovic’s drive for 25 Grand Slam wins falls short again, but in all honesty, his legacy as the greatest tennis player of all time is already sealed so winning anything more does not change that. ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs made a prediction that the 2026 Australian Open may be Djokovic’s last tournament. She thinks he is beginning to see that he is not able to keep up with Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The Carlos Alcaraz Focus
Alcaraz has often been criticized for not playing smart percentage tennis or keeping his focus. He is known for inexplicable dips that only he can get himself out of with terrific play.
That has not been the case at the 2025 US Open. The change could be precipitated by the Wimbledon loss to Jannik Sinner.
If Alcaraz faces Sinner in the final, it will be interesting to see if he can implement that strategy that has served him well throughout the tournament.
Sinner will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime at 7 PM ET in the other semfinal.
Could The Wimbledon Finalists Win The US Open
With Amanda Anisimova and Carlos Alcaraz advancing to the US Open finals after coming up short at Wimbledon, we wonder if both can avenge the Wimbledon losses in less than three months time.
The US Open women’s final is Saturday, September 6 at 4 PM ET, and the men’s final will be Sunday, September 7 at 4 PM ET.
