Lead: On 5 September 2025 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, Novak Djokovic faced Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open men’s semi-final; Alcaraz held an early advantage in the opening set and was leading 4-3 when live updates were last posted.
Key takeaways
- Match played at Arthur Ashe Stadium on 5 Sept 2025; near-24,000 capacity crowd.
- Carlos Alcaraz started strongly and secured the opening break; live feed showed him leading in the first set.
- Novak Djokovic, 38, arrived having limited practice earlier in the week to manage his body.
- Alcaraz, 22, reached this semi-final without dropping a set in the tournament.
- Their head-to-head stood at 5-3 in Djokovic’s favour ahead of this match.
- Weather was warm and humid, around 27°C, affecting conditions and ball behaviour.
- Previous notable meetings include the 2023 Wimbledon final and Djokovic’s Olympic final win.
Verified facts
The fixture took place on Friday, 5 September 2025, at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Early match reports and the live coverage recorded Alcaraz breaking Djokovic’s serve to go 1-0, and subsequent live updates showed Alcaraz ahead 4-3 in the first set at the latest update time (20:58 BST).
Player details confirmed in pre-match reporting: Novak Djokovic is 38 years old; Carlos Alcaraz is 22. Tournament notes state Alcaraz had not dropped a set en route to this semi-final, seeking his eighth consecutive final appearance across recent events.
Broadcaster and press observations noted Djokovic skipped practice on Wednesday and Thursday before the semi, aiming to conserve energy after his quarter-final versus Taylor Fritz. Commentators flagged Djokovic’s serve as a key tactical element given his decision to shorten points more frequently this season.
Match conditions recorded by reporters: air temperature around 27°C, humidity high for the tournament; crowd size was close to Arthur Ashe’s ~24,000 capacity. Photographers at the event included Reuters’ Eduardo Muñoz.
Context & impact
The match underlined the generational contrast between Djokovic and Alcaraz. Djokovic seeks to extend an extraordinary career while managing the physical demands of elite tennis at 38; Alcaraz is entering the prime years of a rapidly consolidating career.
Sporting significance: a win for Alcaraz would push him into another major final and continue his streak of high-level consistency; a Djokovic victory would reinforce his capacity to compete at the very top despite age-related concerns.
Broader implications include momentum going into a potential final against Jannik Sinner and narrative threads about the sport’s shifting balance between established legends and rising stars.
Official statements
“It’s feeling alright, let’s see. I’m expecting a very physical battle,” Djokovic said before the match, acknowledging the challenge.
Novak Djokovic (pre-match comment)
“Having two days to rest before this semi-final, to feel fresh, is great. I’ve been really consistent this tournament,” Alcaraz said in pre-match remarks.
Carlos Alcaraz (pre-match comment)
Unconfirmed
- Any suggestion this would be Djokovic’s final US Open is speculative; no official retirement statement was issued at the time of these updates.
- In-play statistics such as exact ace counts and serve speeds reported in live updates are provisional and may be revised by official match stats.
Bottom line
This semi-final reinforced the enduring quality of Djokovic and the accelerating consistency of Alcaraz. The immediate outcome remained live and undecided at the last bulletin, but the match continued to carry major implications for both players’ momentum and the season’s narrative.