Novak Djokovic has framed his approach to the 2025 US Open semi-final with a mixture of realism and confidence. The Serb arrives at the last four of the year’s final Grand Slam determined to upset expectations and to prove he can still beat the game’s top young players.

Djokovic is set to face Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the final. He has reached the semi-finals at all of this season’s Grand Slams but has not converted those runs into titles at that level, and he has not won an event above ATP 250 in 2025. Still, he insisted his level remains capable of matching the best.

“When I’m in shape and capable of playing my best tennis, I still believe I can beat both Alcaraz and Sinner,” stated the former world No 1, during an interview with SportKlub . “The most dangerous part is that I need to make a great effort, work very hard, and push my body to its limits to have the chance to face them.

“It’s a bit of an unfair battle because their youth and current superiority allow them to arrive in full condition, while I already have half an empty tank.

“That’s biology.”

The season has paid out a mixed ledger. Djokovic has struggled repeatedly against Jannik Sinner, losing his five most recent matches to the Italian and taking just two sets in those meetings. At Wimbledon he was beaten 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, and four weeks earlier he fell 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) at the French Open. Against Alcaraz he has had more recent success, including a four-set quarter-final victory at this season’s Australian Open, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. His hard-court record versus Alcaraz stands favourably in the head-to-head.

“One could say that it benefits me to play against Carlos in the semi-finals rather than against Jannik, at least, that’s what the latest results suggest,” he added. “In any case, in Australia and London, I arrived injured at the semi-final match and not now. Each match is a different story.

“I know Alcaraz is the favourite, playing at an impressive level, but I hope to raise my game. These matches are what keep me competing.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to beat the best currently.”

After beating Taylor Fritz in four sets in the quarter-finals, Djokovic was equally candid about the tournament picture: “We don’t need to spend words about two of them,” he commented, during his post-match press conference. “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, Sinner still has to win a couple of matches to get to the finals, but they are playing definitely the best tennis of any player here.

“They’ve been the 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.

“I put myself in another semi-final of a Grand Slam this year.

“I’ve been very consistent, mostly consistent on the Slams this season, and that’s what I said at the beginning of the year, where I would like to perform my best tennis and make the best results.”

Amanda Anisimova turned her semi-final victory over Naomi Osaka into a forward-looking message ahead of the 2025 US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka. The world No 9 prevailed 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3 in a contest that lasted just under three hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In a match billed as a clash between two of the tour’s finest ball strikers, Anisimova secured the only break of the deciding set to move 3-1 ahead and later saved two break points while serving for the match. The win sends her to a maiden US Open final and represents a second straight Grand Slam championship match after her 0-6, 0-6 defeat to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

Her opponent will be world No 1 and three-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka. The two have a competitive recent history: Anisimova beat Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a Wimbledon semi-final in July and holds a 6-3 head-to-head record against the Belarusian.

Asked in her post-match press conference what it says about her to reach another major final so soon after the Wimbledon loss, Anisimova said: “I think it just shows that I have worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up.”

She elaborated on the mentality that carried her through the match with Osaka: “Like today, I could have easily said, ‘oh, she’s playing better than me, and I can’t really do anything’. I really tried to find any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough, and she was playing really great tennis.

“I think I have really worked on myself to really be able to handle those moments and to believe in myself, even when it feels like what is there to believe in, when you’re not playing that well.

“I think I have really done a better job of that, and especially since the Wimbledon final. I think I have really shifted with my attitude as well.”

On facing Sabalenka next, Anisimova added: “Yeah, I’m super excited, to be in the US Open final is really special and just gonna try and do all the right things and really prepare to be in the best possible mindset and physically.

“But yeah, I’m really looking forward to it and I think it’s a great opportunity.

“Yeah, I mean it’s the number one player in the world and she’s playing amazing tennis. It’s gonna be a really tough match and a battle. Yeah, I’m excited. Every single time we’ve played it’s been great.”

She reflected on their past matches: “Yeah, we’ve had very tough matches.

“A lot of them have actually been in Grand Slams, too. Especially early on in my career, but I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon.

“It was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her. But yeah, I think that was the most special one for me.”

Aryna Sabalenka reached her third consecutive US Open final after a determined comeback against Jessica Pegula at Flushing Meadows. The world No 1 recovered from an opening-set loss to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 over world No 4 Pegula, overturning a first-set deficit and relying on a single break in each of the last two sets.

The victory keeps Sabalenka on course for a second US Open title and a fourth Grand Slam crown overall. Earlier this season she lost in both the French Open and Australian Open finals. Sabalenka is also only the sixth women’s world No 1 to reach three or more major finals in a season, following Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.

The 27-year-old commented on how the result sets up a final against Amanda Anisimova, the player who beat her in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. Sabalenka lost that match 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 and said she learned from the experience. “I think I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots because I feel like in that match, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors, and I gave her a lot of opportunities,” Sabalenka said.

“And, of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn’t use them. And I felt like the key for me [is] going to be just go there, of course, like, obviously fight, but also trust my decisions and. And go after my shots.”

Anisimova reached the final after a three-set win over Naomi Osaka, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3.

Sabalenka described the emotions as she closed out the semi-final, after seeing two match points slip away before converting the third. “I was super emotional. I was just like, ‘oh, my gosh, no way it’s happening. Please just close this match’,” she explained. “Of course I was emotional. And then there was another kind of, like, easy shot that I… Not, like, I missed, but I didn’t make the right decision.

“But you know how much I would just keep telling myself, ‘into the next one, just one step at a time. Don’t worry about the past. Just, like, try better in the next point.’

“Because I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals.”