Carlos Alcaraz Eyes Novak Djokovic ‘Revenge’ as US Open Clash Rekindles Painful Past

When you are Carlos Alcaraz but still try to avoid one particular opponent in Grand Slam, it speaks volumes of the mental pressure. In the case of 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic, it seems true. After the Serbian bested the Spaniard earlier this season in Melbourne, the 22-year-old, five-time major winner only had one helpless confession to make. According to him, playing against Djokovic at slams “is the worst thing.” During the quarterfinal battle of the Australian Open, he came back from being a set down and went on to snatch the victory from Alcaraz, leaving the latter heartbroken. Now that they are locked in for yet another showdown, at the US Open, the question remains: is the Spaniard willing to settle the scores this time?

Alcaraz beat Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals on Tuesday in straight sets. With a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, he made it to his fourth semifinal of a slam this season. Interestingly, he hasn’t dropped a set just yet at the ongoing US Open in New York. While the current form has been stellar, now it seems like he will have to double it down in order to face his next opponent – Novak Djokovic. The latter confirmed his semifinal clash with Alcaraz after besting local favorite and World No.4 Taylor Fritz on Tuesday night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Even before he got the confirmation of his semifinal opponent, Alcaraz made his intentions clear. Especially for Djokovic. Seems like the Spaniard is focusing on nothing but taking revenge of that QF loss down under. During a post-match press conference, Alcaraz admitted, “We all know Novak’s game. It doesn’t matter that he’s been out of the tour since Wimbledon, playing great matches here (New York). I know he’s hungry, I know his ambition for more. So let’s see.” However, he then underlined that “I really want to (take) revenge” having played against the Serbian a lot recently. And guess what? It’s the latter who enjoys a phenomenal H2H record against the youngster.

August 25, 2025, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA: Carlos Alcaraz during a match against Reilly Opelka on Day 2 of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Monday August 25, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Flushing Meadows USA – ZUMAp124 20250825_zaa_p124_117 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx

For the uninitiated, Djokovic currently leads 5-3 against Alcaraz. Even in their last two crucial encounters, the Serbian managed to beat him in a thrilling manner. Last year in Paris, during the Olympics, the 38-year-old bested the young blood in straight sets to win the Gold medal and complete his Career Golden Slam. Then earlier this year, he edged Alcaraz out in the QF stage of the Australian Open to prove his supremacy over the 22-year-old.

This is a developing story…

Do follow our live US Open blog for all the latest real-time updates from the Flushing Meadows.

The post Carlos Alcaraz Eyes Novak Djokovic ‘Revenge’ as US Open Clash Rekindles Painful Past appeared first on EssentiallySports.