Djokovic: "The whole world expects a Sinner-Alcaraz final... I will try to spoil their plans"

Fernando Murciego | 3 Sep 2025 | 07.19

This is what Novak Djokovic said after reaching the semifinals of the US Open. Source: Getty

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He keeps winning. He keeps adding up victories. He keeps defeating young contenders. And he still maintains that ambition from day one. At times, it seems like Novak Djokovic will never end, although we know that nothing lasts forever, which is why we are savoring these last seasons consciously. Every match is a gift, but for the Serbian, just playing is not enough, he needs to triumph. That's why at 38, he has reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams, including this US Open 2025, where he once again stole the soul of Taylor Fritz, one of his favorite victims in the locker room. A glorious moment for the Balkan player who will now face Carlos Alcaraz, a myriad of topics discussed at the press conference just a few minutes ago.

How are you feeling physically?

"We'll see in two days, the good thing about the schedule is that now I have two days without a match, so that helps me a lot. I don't feel very fresh at the moment, but I hope that in two days the sensation will be different."

Fritz's level

"As I said on the court, I think he was the better player in the second and third sets, I really escaped a big problem in the second, somehow I managed to secure it after that 5-4. I dropped my serve, then I broke back, but I thought I wasn't playing well, I didn't feel the ball as well as in the third round, for example. Taylor is the kind of player that, if you allow him to play, he will try to dictate, be aggressive, and stay close to the line. He'll take his forehands and punish you, so I was trying to survive, to stay in the points, make him play. It was good for me that he wasn't hitting many first serves in the early sets, then he raised the level with his service, the percentage went up, and it was much harder for me then. In the fourth set, I think I served well at important moments, mixed it up a lot and came to the net. I waited for my chance patiently, the truth is I only had one break point, which was the last, the one that gave me the victory. He gave it to me with a double fault. But before that, I wasn't feeling good, I didn't feel like playing well, not as well as a few days ago. It was one of those days where you have to grind, play with your heart and fight, that's what gave me the final victory."

The drama of the last game

"The truth is you feel disappointment when you let match points slip, in both exchanges I was very close. In that last game, I read his first serve well, he missed more first serves than he missed in the entire set, so he gave me the opportunity to be in the rallies, but I was just pushing the ball. I wasn't doing anything with the ball, that led me to a more defensive position until I missed those two backhands. Then, after a good return and a couple of good points, I found myself with another match point, I was undecided whether I should step in on his second serve or stay back. In the end, I hesitated, but I had a lot of success every time I did that, I just wanted to give him a different look. That caused him to double fault… or not, I don't know, but I think it gave him a different perspective on my position on the court, which can mess with your mind a little. It ended in an unfortunate way for him, though the intensity and fight we showed in that last game were incredible. I hope people enjoyed it."

Two steps away from the title

"What's coming next is not going to be easier, I assure you (laughs). I'm going to try to take it day by day, take care of my body, relax, and recover. The next two days will be crucial to get my body in shape and be ready to fight for five sets if necessary. I would really love that, I love being fit enough to play and play, to reach a potential fifth set with Carlos. I'll need my best tennis, to rise to the occasion. I usually like to play the big matches on a big stage, it's just that now I don't know how my body will be in a couple of days, so I'll try to do my best with my team to arrive prepared. There will be many long rallies, that's for sure, they won't be short points."

Novak Djokovic in the post-match interview after defeating Fritz. Source: Getty

Beating Alcaraz… and then Sinner?

"We don't need to use many words to talk about them, we know they are the top two in the world. Everyone is anticipating each final between these two, so I will try to spoil most people's plans. Sinner still has to win a couple of matches to reach the final, but he is playing the best tennis of any player here, he has been the dominant force since the start of the tournament. I'm definitely not going out on court waving a white flag, I don't think anyone will, but particularly not me. I already reached other semifinals this season, I've been very consistent, much more in the Grand Slams, you know that this is where I like to produce my best tennis, achieve my best results. And here we are, with another opportunity. I hope to arrive in good form and play well enough to be on par with Carlos on the court."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic: “Todo el mundo espera una final Sinner-Alcaraz... voy a intentar estropear sus planes”

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