Roger
Federer revealed that
Novak Djokovic is his favorite to win the
US Open.
The former
Swiss tennis star shared one of the greatest rivalries in history with 'Nole,'
playing a total of 50 matches, with Djokovic holding a 27-23 record. With 20
Grand Slam titles, including five at the US Open, Federer is one of the most
authoritative voices to predict a possible champion.
Djokovic is
aiming for his 24th Grand Slam crown and has already reached the semifinals
with a convincing victory over Taylor Fritz (6-1, 6-4, 6-4). This marks
Djokovic's 47th Grand Slam semifinal, surpassing Federer's previous record of
46.
The top
favorites, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, are the main contenders for this
year's title. Alcaraz is the defending champion and recently defeated Djokovic
in the Wimbledon final. However, Djokovic got the better of the world No. 1
just two weeks ago in the Cincinnati Open final.
Federer
revealed his favorite to win the title at Flushing Meadows during an interview
with Sports Illustrated Deutschland.
“I would
bet on Novak Djokovic. That’s a safe bet,”
Federer
achieved the incredible feat of winning 5 consecutive championships at the US
Open between 2004 and 2008. In one of those victories in 2007, he defeated
Novak Djokovic, who was playing his first Grand Slam final.
Novak
Djokovic later got his revenge against Federer, winning his second US Open
title by defeating the Swiss in the 2015 final. Additionally, they faced each
other three more times in different rounds of the same tournament, with Federer
securing three victories against Djokovic's two.
In pursuit
of a spot in the final, 'Nole' will be facing the young star Ben Shelton, the
last hope for Americans to secure the men's title. The 20-year-old tennis
player has surprised once again in a Grand Slam, just as he did in his campaign
at the Australian Open.
This will
be Shelton's first semifinal, and in his last two matches, he defeated his
fellow countrymen, 14th seed Tommy Paul and 10th seed Frances Tiafoe.