Novak Djokovic extends dominant record against Fritz, sets up blockbuster US Open semifinal with Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic secures his spot in the US Open semifinals after defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. This marks the 53rd Grand Slam semifinal for the Serbian, who continues to add to his impressive numbers in major tournaments. His next challenge will be against Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic has now repeated his achievement from the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon: reaching the semifinals. In Melbourne, an injury forced him to withdraw while facing Alexander Zverev—giving the Italian a pass to the final—while at Roland Garros and Wimbledon he was stopped by Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

This time his opponent will be Spain's "Carlitos" Alcaraz, who is on a notable streak of 10 consecutive victories and hasn't dropped a set in the entire tournament. The head-to-head record is currently 5-3 in favor of the Serbian, who will have another chance to return to a Grand Slam final.

Both players had met expectations, making it to the quarterfinals. Although Fritz (No. 4) had the better ranking, the early differences favored Djokovic (No. 7), who secured the first break right away and took a 3-0 lead with his serve.

Fritz managed to hold his serve for the first time, closing the gap to 3-1. The American's serving was clearly a mixed bag: he won 89% of his first-serve points but only 9% with his second serve. Djokovic mainly attacked his opponent's backhand and capitalized on the unforced errors from a Fritz who seemed very aware of his 10 consecutive losses to Djokovic.

The world No. 4 had to save a set point while serving at 2-5, and Djokovic had to step up to close the set with his serve. This brought out Fritz's best moments, as he put Djokovic on the ropes, earning five break points he couldn't convert. The Serbian then closed out the set 6-3 on his first chance, after a tight, 13-minute game.

In the second set, Fritz changed his approach, achieving consistency with both his first and second serves. He won a couple of service games to love and got two break opportunities when the score was 2-1 in his favor, which Djokovic, however, comfortably saved.

The American seemed closer to a break at 3-3, but a single opportunity was all his opponent needed for Nole to take a 5-3 lead. The Serbian had a chance to serve for the set, but Fritz's efforts finally paid off. The American got the break after having squandered 10 break points throughout the match—the 11th time was the charm, tying the set 5-5.

The tension was high, with Fritz starting the next game with a double fault. Djokovic sensed the momentum: a couple more unforced errors and another break for Nole, who would get a new chance to serve out the set. This time, the 24-time Grand Slam champion didn't fail. He delivered an impeccable service game and put the second set in his pocket, 7-5. Both players took a toilet break and left the court after the set, looking to refresh and reset for the third set.

Djokovic was especially dominant on his serve, with a 73% first serve in play compared to a poor 38% from Fritz. The Serbian also converted 2 of his 2 break point opportunities, while Fritz could only capitalize on 1 of the 5 chances he created throughout the set. After one hour and 50 minutes, Nole extended his lead to two sets, and the match was practically decided.

Djokovic came out looking for the victory in the third set and put pressure on Fritz right from the first service game. However, this time the American managed to overcome the difficult moments at the start and gradually became more effective with his serve, patiently waiting for a new opportunity.

Around the fourth game, Nole gave up a couple of break opportunities, and Fritz took advantage of one to get ahead for the first time in the match. The local player then gained confidence with his serve and held on to the lead. The single break was enough for both players to hold their serves until the end of the set and for Fritz to extend the match, taking the third set 6-3. In the set, he had a 70% first-serve percentage, winning 90% of those points, and also hit a notable total of 18 winners against only 6 for Djokovic.

In the fourth set the Serb stayed steady on serve and delivered a crucial love hold to move ahead 5–4, flipping the pressure onto the American who was growing stronger with every game played. Fritz, determined to extend the contest, suddenly found himself in a tense service game at the worst possible moment.

Djokovic pressed hard and earned two match points but failed to convert them immediately. The momentum could have shifted again, yet his composure allowed him to stay in command of the rallies. Fritz, unable to match Djokovic’s consistency from the baseline, began to falter under the strain, and his serve showed signs of collapse.

On match point, Fritz double-faulted to hand Djokovic the set and victory, sealing a 6–4 finish.

This result extends Djokovic’s perfect record against Fritz to 11–0 and ke him unbeaten against American men at the US Open, now 16–0. More importantly, it secured his place in the semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz, setting the stage for another high-profile clash between generations.