(September 2, 2025) FLUSHING, NY – No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain is into the US Open final four again. He cruised past Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just short of two hours. The 22-year-old has not dropped a set so far at the US Open.
He’s won 59 matches so far this season.
“It’s difficult not to think about it, but every time I step on court I’m trying not to think about it,” said Alcaraz on court after the match. “If I think about No. 1 spot too much I’m gonna put too much pressure on myself.
“I just want to step on court, try to do my things, follow my goals in the match and try to enjoy my goals in the match. No. 1 is there but I am trying not to think too much about it.”
He’ll play No. 7 Novak Djokovic for a place in the final. Djokovic beat American Taylor Fritz in four sets.
Alcaraz is currently on an 11-match win streak.
“Look, as I said on the court, he was the better player second and third set.,” said Djokovic. “I got really out of trouble in the second, somehow found a way to clinch that second set after serving for it 5-4. Dropped a serve, rebroke, and then I honestly wasn’t — I thought, for my standards, that I wasn’t playing well. I don’t know. I didn’t feel the ball as well as I did feel the ball in the third round.
“You know, Taylor is the kind of a player if you allow him to play, he’s going to try to dictate, he’s going to be aggressive, stay close to the line. He’s going to take his forehands and punish you. I was just trying to survive, just trying to stay in the rally, make him play.
“I think it was good for me that he wasn’t making a lot of first serves in in the first couple sets. Then he raised the level of the first serve, and the first-serve percentage went up. Then, all of a sudden, it was so much more difficult for me to stay in his service games.
“But then, you know, I think in important moments in the fourth I served well, mixed it up, came to the net as well. Just tried to give him a different look and waited patiently for my opportunity, and realistically I just had one game where I just had chance to break him, which was the last one. You know, the one that gave me the victory, and he gifted me with the double fault.
“Yeah, I was in the rally in both of my match points prior to that. Just played too conservatively. Yeah, waited for his mistake instead of trying to take the ball early, but as I said, I didn’t feel playing well. I didn’t feel my shots as well as I have a few days ago.
It’s one of those days where you just have to grind, you know. You just have to play with your heart and fight. That’s what really gave me the win in the end.”
“Well, it’s not going to get easier,” Djokovic said to media. “I tell you that (smiling). Look, as I said, I’m going to try to take one day at a time. Really take care of my body. Try to relax and recover. The next couple of days is really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it’s needed.
“I just would really love that. Would love to be fit enough to play and to play, you know, potentially five sets with Carlos. I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.
“Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage. It’s just that I’m, you know, not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But, you know, I’m going to do my very best with my team to be fit for that.
“There’s going to be a lot of running involved, that’s for sure. It’s not going to be short points.”
Alcaraz said of his next opponent: “Novak, we all know Novak’s game. It doesn’t matter that he has been out of the tour since Wimbledon. Playing great matches here. I know he’s hungry. I know his ambition for more, so let’s see.
“I know I played a lot of times against him. I really want to revenge. That’s obviously.”
