Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz meet in Friday’s US Open semi-final with substantial ranking points and prize money on the line. Both are former champions in New York and this is their first meeting since the Australian Open earlier this year when Djokovic stunned his younger rival.

Despite fitness struggles, 38-year-old Djokovic has prevailed against several younger opponents to reach a record 14th US Open men’s singles semi-final. Alcaraz has advanced to the last four without dropping a set. By reaching the semi-finals, each player has already secured 800 ATP ranking points.

Twelve months ago Djokovic earned just 100 points at the US Open after a third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin. That result leaves him provisionally up 700 ranking points to 4,830 in the ATP Live Rankings and moved him up three places to world No 4 as things stand.

Alcaraz was eliminated in the second round in 2024 by Botic van de Zandschulp and collected only 50 points. His run to this year’s semi-finals is provisionally worth a 750-point increase. Alcaraz holds 10,340 points in the ATP Live Rankings and is provisionally back as world No 1, ahead of incumbent Jannik Sinner. Sinner must better Alcaraz’s result to remain at No 1. Whoever wins Friday’s semi-final will earn 1,300 ATP ranking points.

Prize money at this year’s US Open has also risen. Each semi-finalist in both singles draws will receive $1,260,000, an increase from the $1,000,000 paid to beaten semi-finalists in 2024. Reaching the final guarantees at least $2,500,000, and the champion will be paid $5,000,000.

Career and season earnings underline the financial stakes. Djokovic’s career prize-money total stands at $188,934,053, the highest in tennis history. Alcaraz is sixth on the all-time ATP list with $48,486,628. In 2025 Alcaraz has earned $10,631,652 and Djokovic has won $3,400,133.

Nicolas Escude has voiced doubts about Novak Djokovic’s belief that he can overcome both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on consecutive nights en route to the 2025 US Open title.

Djokovic, 38, is pursuing a record-equalling fifth US Open crown and a 25th Grand Slam singles trophy. The Serbian, aiming to become the oldest Grand Slam singles titlist in history, last won a major at the 2023 US Open.

He will meet world No 2 and five-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. The semi-final winner will face either world No 1 Jannik Sinner or 27th-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final.

The world No 7 holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against Alcaraz and has won the last two encounters, including a clash in the 2025 Australian Open quarter-finals. Alcaraz has been in formidable form, winning 35 of 36 matches since the Italian Open in May and yet to drop a set at this US Open. Sinner has won the last three hard-court Grand Slams and has beaten Djokovic five times in a row.

Escude did not hold back when assessing Djokovic’s prospects. “In my opinion, he has a motivation, an objective that we don’t know, that we don’t control, that belongs only to him,” said the former world No 17. “When he sees Sinner and Alcaraz playing, I can’t believe he’s there saying to himself: ‘OK, I’ll take them both out one after the other, I have everything I need to do it.’

“He must feel that this is a level where, today, he is no longer capable of playing.”

After his quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz, Djokovic acknowledged physical concerns and the work required to be ready for a deep run: “Well, it’s not going to get easier, I tell you that,” he said. “But look, as I said, I’m going to try to take one day at a time, really take care of my body, try to relax and recover.

“The next couple of days is really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it’s needed. So I just would really love that, would love to be fit enough to play and to play, you know, potentially five sets with Carlos. And I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I rise to the occasion.

“Normally, I like to play the big matches on a big stage. It’s just that I’m not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But, you know, I’m going to do my very best with my team to be fit for that. There’s going to be a lot of running involved, that’s for sure. I mean, there’s not going to be short points.”

On the challenge posed by his rivals, Djokovic added: “Yeah, well, I mean, we don’t need to spend words about two of them. You know, we know that they’re two best players in the world.

“Everybody’s probably expecting and anticipating the finals between two of them. I’m going to try to, you know, mess up the plans of most of the people and let’s see.

“You know, I mean, they’ve been dominant force since the beginning of the tournament, but, you know, I definitely am not going with the white flag on the court. I don’t think anybody does, really, when they play them, but particularly not me.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime is in the semi-finals at the 2025 US Open after a string of notable victories in New York. The Canadian defeated Billy Harris, Roman Safiullin, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows. It is his second time reaching a major semi-final, having first gone that deep at the 2021 US Open.

Asked after his win over de Minaur about a suit fitting before his wedding and whether he would be more nervous in the semi-finals or walking down the aisle, the world No 27 offered a candid response. “(Smiles) That’s a good question. I don’t know,” he said. He acknowledged the novelty of marriage and the emotions it brings. “Walking down the aisle, I’ve never done, so you know, when it’s a first, it’s a special feeling for sure. I think people that were married can for sure relate. So I’m looking forward to it.

“But yeah, the [suit] fitting, we’ll see, we’ll see. I mean, I haven’t thought about it much yet, but obviously we’re probably going to have to postpone it.

“So it’s a quick turnaround. And in terms of the planning, I mean, I have to give her credit, she’s done a lot. You know, I’m not gonna sit here and say that I was involved just as much as she was. She’s been amazing for me because, you know, getting engaged, I thought, well, you know, it’s a heavy season.

“A lot of tournaments that are important for me, I need to focus on. So I won’t have time to sit on every call and, you know, all the meetings and to go there in person and do all that. So she’s been really good.”

Auger-Aliassime will meet Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. Asked about the world No 1, the former world No 6 praised his opponent’s progress. “He’s improved a lot,” he said. “I always, whenever I get asked, I give him credit because, I mean, you have to give credit when it’s due. When somebody does the work and they improve and they get to that level, you just have to tip your hat off.

“And obviously, that’s what I hope to do in my career as well, to improve in such a way. And obviously, the perfect scenario would have been to win against him in Cincinnati.

“And I think, like, the. Let’s say the medium scenario, the okay scenario is having a chance actually play him. We hadn’t played in some years. So if I get to play him in the next round, it’s like, okay, I know more what to expect of, like, okay, this is what he plays like today compared to 2022.

“And I was able to, you know, feel his game. So now, you know, I can really prepare and say, okay, this is what to expect. And I can go in, you know, knowing that.”