Carlos Alcaraz played a near-perfect match to defeat Novak Djokovic in straight sets (6-4, 7-6, 6-2) and move into the final of the US Open on Friday. The match took place in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium and lived up to the high expectations.
Alcaraz, the second seed and 2022 champion, played with great accuracy and power. He hit twice as many winners as Djokovic and didn’t let the pressure affect him.
Djokovic, aged 38 and a 24-time Grand Slam winner, looked tired against the 22-year-old Spaniard. He made several mistakes, including double faults and missed shots.
In the first set, Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s serve early and held his own to win it. In the second set, Djokovic fought back and even got a break, but Alcaraz responded strongly and won the tiebreak with big serves.
By the third set, Djokovic was clearly struggling. He gave away a break with a double fault and finished the match by hitting a forehand wide. He smiled and congratulated Alcaraz at the net.
Alcaraz now moves on to face Jannik Sinner in the final, after the Italian beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the other semi-final.
