Djokovic has been at his savviest against Alcaraz, surprising the Spaniard with his early aggressiveness, and holding up better in the clutch. He has had more success imposing his game on him than he has on Sinner.
“Would love to be fit enough to play and to play, you know, potentially five sets with Carlos,” Djokovic says. “I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.”
Does Djokovic sound a little pessimistic for a guy with winning record against his opponent? Looking at Alcaraz’s form since the spring, he has a right to be. He has won five titles on three surfaces, and hasn’t dropped a set so far in New York.
“I think today I just played a really—or almost perfect match, I would say,” Alcaraz said after seeing off Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday. “So playing a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, I’m feeling that way. It seems like, OK, just two more steps to do, and let’s see what happens.”
