Novak Djokovic admitted Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are just too good at the grand slams after his hopes of a 25th title ended once again in the semi-finals.
Having lost to Sinner in the semi-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon, Djokovic suffered the same fate at the US Open against Alcaraz, the 2022 champion coming through 6-4 7-6 (4) 6-2.
Djokovic was giving away 16 years to Alcaraz and, at 38, he appears good enough still to beat all his challengers except the Spaniard and Sinner.
Alcaraz will now expect to face Sinner for the third slam final in a row – unprecedented in the open era – with the Italian due to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime in the other semi-final on Friday night.
“I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, playing on a really high level,” said Djokovic.
“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. Best-of-five (sets) makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it’s the end stages of the grand slam.”
That there is a new order in men’s tennis has been true for a couple of years but Djokovic’s defeat means this is the first season since 2002 that none of the four slam finals have featured the 24-time champion, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
The Serbian had sounded pessimistic about his chances of matching Alcaraz physically ahead of the contest, and it is the gruelling nature of these tournaments that is a big part of his problem – and a gap that is only likely to widen.
“I can do only as much as I can do,” said Djokovic. “It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five at the grand slams.
“I’m not giving up on grand slams. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least. But it’s going to be a very difficult task.”
This was the hottest ticket in New York, with actor Hugh Jackman and singer Jon Bon Jovi among the crowd, while the hum of conversation that is often heard around Arthur Ashe Stadium was replaced by a buzz of expectation.
Alcaraz has been in scintillating form this fortnight, reaching the last four without dropping a set, and he began in the same vein here with a break of the Djokovic serve in the opening game.
Despite the bad start, Djokovic seemed to be enjoying the challenge, celebrating moments of magic like the early backhand pass he fizzed down the line.
The concerning thing for Djokovic was that Alcaraz was not even playing at his best.
Having lost to Djokovic in the Olympic gold medal match last summer and in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, Alcaraz seemed to lack the conviction he has showed in the rest of his run, committing an unusual number of errors and trailing 3-0 in the second set.
But Djokovic’s serve was not the weapon he needed it to be and, once Alcaraz recovered the deficit and won the tie-break, the 38-year-old’s resistance ran out.
Despite the result, Djokovic was less downbeat than he had been at Wimbledon, saying: “I still enjoy the thrill of competition. Today I received amazing support again on the court from the crowd. Very thankful for that. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
“That’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going. The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.
“It’s never fun losing a tennis match but, at the same time, if I’m to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys. I know that they are just better at the moment.”
Djokovic insisted he is planning to play a full grand slam season again next year but where the 38-year-old plays next is yet to be decided.
He has played an increasingly sparse schedule, prioritising the majors, and said the only tournament he is sure to feature at for the rest of 2025 is the ATP tournament in Athens in November.
Alcaraz’s victory continued his incredible consistency, with the second seed’s loss to Sinner in the Wimbledon final his only defeat since April.
He can become the first man in the open era to win the US Open without dropping a set, and he said: “It’s a great feeling. Once again to be in the final of the US Open, it feels amazing.
“It means a lot to me. I’d say it wasn’t the best level. I served really well today, I think it was really important.”
