04 September,2025 08:40 AM IST | New York | Agencies
An amped up Carlos Alcaraz after defeating Jiri Lehecka at the US Open quarter-finals in New York on Tuesday. Pic/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz is seeking revenge against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic when the two face-off in the US Open semi-final here on Saturday.
"I know he's [Djokovic] hungry, I know he's ambitious for more, so let's see. I know I've played a lot of times against him, and I really want revenge," said the Spanish World No. 2 while alluding to the defeats he suffered at the hands of the Serbian in their last two encounters (2025 Australian Open quarter-finals and 2024 Paris Olympics final).
Alcaraz has been in fine fettle at Flushing Meadows and cruised past Czechia's Jiri Lehecka with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win in the quarter-finals, a match where he summed up his own game as âalmost perfect.' The 22-year-old is yet to drop a set in New York and has won 35 out of his last 36 matches since the Italian Open in May.
Meanwhile, World No. 7 Djokovic wants to play the role of a party-pooper, aiming to mess up Alcaraz's plans of setting up a title clash with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who beat the Spaniard to the Wimbledon Trophy in July.
"We know that they [Sinner and Alcaraz] are the two best players in the world. Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between the two of them. I'm going to try to mess up their plans," said the 38-year-old Serbian after overcoming USA's Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 on Tuesday.
While reflecting on his victory over the plucky Fritz, Djokovic said, "In this kind of match a few points on either side decide the winner. It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody's match. I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set because for most of the second and third sets he was the better player."
In the women's singles, reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals on Tuesday when Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of their last-eight clash with an injury. The Belarusian World No. 1 will face USA's World No. 4 Jessica Pegula in her next match.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams bowed out in the women's doubles quarter-finals alongside partner Leylah Fernandez. The pair lost to top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 6-1, 6-2.
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