Carlos Alcaraz has been described by many tennis experts as the most complete player they have ever seen for a 20-year-old.

But after failing to stop a red-hot Daniil Medvedev in the US Open semi-finals Friday night, the Spaniard says there is still work to do.

“He played a really, really great game. I couldn’t find solutions,” Alcaraz said. “I thought that right now I am a better player [who can] find solutions when the match is not going in the right direction for you. But after this match, I’m going to change my mind. I’m not mature enough to handle these kind of matches. So I have to learn from that.”

Brutal honesty, indeed. Alcaraz seemed to have the right game plan early in the match, winning his first 18 net approaches as he looked to exploit Medvedev’s deep-court position, especially on the return of serve. But his net game deserted him in the first-set tie-break and then in the second he couldn’t find the answers to halt Medvedev’s charge.

Alcaraz hit 45 winners to Medvedev’s 38, but the 2021 US Open champion largely won the day in baseline exchanges. Alcaraz came to net 70 times – exactly double his net approaches against Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals – but even winning 77 per cent of those points was not enough.

Medvedev certainly took the honours on serve, firing nine aces to none and winning 82 per cent of first-serve points to Alcaraz’s 69 per cent.

“He played with more speed in his shots. I think the running forehand was great today,” Alcaraz said. “Probably with the slice in the previous matches helped me a lot to find my own game, but today I couldn’t.

“He found great directions with his shots, no mistakes, great serve today. 10 out of 10, as he said… He’s one of the best returners on the Tour. That obviously is amazing how he can return from the back of the court really deep and really powerful. When I do serve and volley, he always finds the passing shot from from his house (laughter).”

On Monday Alcaraz will surrender No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to Novak Djokovic, who will begin his 390th week in top spot. However, the Spaniard will retain a razor-thin lead over the Serbian in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin if the 36-year-old falls to Medvedev in Sunday’s title match.

The Race determines which eight players qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, but it also serves as an indicator of which player will finish the year World No. 1.

Alcaraz finishes his Grand Slam season having won his maiden Wimbledon title and having reached semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open. He missed the Australian Open through injury.

Daniil Medvedev reminded the world on Friday evening that when he is at his best, he has the game to beat anyone on the planet. The third seed ousted defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the US Open final.

The 27-year-old set a rematch of the 2021 Flushing Meadows final against Novak Djokovic. Two years ago, Medvedev stunned Djokovic and denied the Serbian his dream of winning all four majors in the same season. On Sunday, he will try to keep Djokovic from securing a record-extending 24th Slam title.

“The challenge is to play a guy who won 23 Grand Slams and I have only one,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “When I beat him here, I managed to play better than myself and I need to do it again. There is no other way.”

Medvedev explained after his quarter-final win over Andrey Rublev that he needed an “11 out of 10” performance to defeat Alcaraz, and that is what he accomplished, saving eight of the nine break points he faced to triumph after three hours and 18 minutes and reach his third championship clash in New York.

“I said I needed to play 11 out of 10. I played 12 out of 10, except the third set,” Medvedev said. “That’s the only way. I don’t know if he’s still 20 or 21, but [he is] so young, already two Grand Slams, World No. 1 for many weeks. It’s honestly just pretty unbelievable and I think nobody has done it before him. To beat him, you need to be better than yourself and I managed to do it.”

Medvedev entered the semi-finals having lost his past two Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings against Alcaraz this season. The Spaniard won all five sets they played in those clashes and did not lose more than three games in any of those sets.

But that did not seem to bother Medvedev, who produced a nearly flawless performance inside Arthur Ashe Stadium and kept his opponent from earning the first two-set comeback of his career. Alcaraz is 9-1 in five-setters and 5-0 at Flushing Meadows, but the 20-year-old was unable to push it into a deciding set against Medvedev, who is 4-9 in fifth sets.

It had been a subpar North American hard-court summer by the 27-year-old’s standards, losing in the quarter-finals in Toronto and the third round in Cincinnati. But the third seed has found his best tennis at the season’s final major and is now a Tour-leading 38-5 on hard courts this year with four titles on the surface (Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami).

Medvedev did not allow the hype around a potential Djokovic-Alcaraz championship match to break his focus. Medvedev showed great intensity in his footwork and his ball-striking, especially off the forehand wing. That kept the top seed from dictating with as much comfort as usual, leading to errors in key moments. 

With Tom Brady, Kevin Durant and Charlize Theron headlining the celebrities watching from the crowd, there was little to separate Medvedev and Alcaraz in the first set. But in the tie-break, Alcaraz hit a poor drop volley, allowing Medvedev to chase down a forehand and earn the ultimately decisive mini-break.

Alcaraz was unable to reset in time to start off the second set well. Despite consistently taking advantage of his opponent’s deep court positioning early by moving forward, the Spaniard hit a forehand drop shot into the net to relinquish an immediate break and was never able to earn it back. Everything was going right for Medvedev, who claimed another break with an incredible one-handed backhand stab on the full stretch. World feed commentator Robbie Koenig called a “moment of magic”.

But Alcaraz did not go down without a fight. The reigning Wimbledon titlist broke serve for the first time in the match at 2-1 and was able to make that advantage hold. The defending champion continued moving forward as Medvedev continued to play deep in the court.

The 20-year-old won 13 of 15 net points in the third set compared to four of 13 for Medvedev. Alcaraz moved forward with authority and in control of points, while his opponent often ended up at the wrong end of booming passing shots.

“The third set was not so bad, I lost one serve. I didn’t have a lot of opportunities on his serve, but I felt like I was not that far. So I was like, ‘I have to continue pushing. I have to do a little bit better on my serve.’ I saved some break points at 1-all. There was a very crucial, super-long game where I managed to do some amazing points to stay in the game and then he kind of — maybe we don’t see him do this often — he started to miss a little bit. Yeah, amazing.”

As Medvedev continued to return from far behind the baseline, Alcaraz consistently served and volleyed, showing exceptional skill in the forecourt. But Medvedev finally forced a net mistake from his opponent to break for 4-2.

After an emphatic love hold to move within one game of victory, Medvedev needed to claw to the finish line. Alcaraz conjured more magic to earn three break points in the final game of the match, but the 2021 champion refused to be denied.

Did You Know?
Alcaraz will relinquish No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to Djokovic on Monday. However, if Medvedev defeats Djokovic in the US Open final, Alcaraz will maintain a 30-point lead in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

The International Tennis Writers’ Association has held a presentation at the US Open to officially present Quentin Moynet as the winner of the 2023 Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism.

The annual prize, which was inaugurated in 2022, is awarded to a writer aged 35 or under who shows excellence in tennis journalism and includes a cash prize of $2,000.

Moynet, a writer for the renowned sports newspaper, L’Equipe, in his native France, came out on top from a very strong list of entries, which were judged blind by a panel consisting of three leading tennis journalists.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to receive the 2023 Tom Perrotta Prize,” Moynet said in August, when he was initially announced as the winner. “I didn’t have the chance to really know Tom before he sadly passed away, but I’ve heard on many occasions what a great journalist and human being he was. This prize is such a good idea and I hope it goes on for decades to keep promoting tennis journalism.

“I’d like to thank Tom’s family and the ITWA for this initiative, the members of the jury for their votes, my newspaper L’Equipe, which gives me many opportunities to do my job in good conditions, and also Caroline Garcia and Lucas Pouille, who trusted me enough for these feature articles.” 

Moynet submitted two feature articles, one on Caroline Garcia’s binge-eating issues and the other on Lucas Pouille and his battle with depression, each of which received particular praise from the judges.

The award is in memory of the American writer Tom Perrotta, whose exemplary contributions to tennis were curtailed by his untimely death at the age of 44.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, The Women’s Tennis Association, The International Tennis Federation and The International Tennis Writers’ Association co-sponsor the award.

Details of how to enter the competition in 2024 will be announced in due course.

A player saying he’s taking it one match at a time is perhaps the most well-worn cliché in tennis. Novak Djokovic takes it one Grand Slam final at a time.

The Serbian will be lacing up in a Grand Slam final for the fourth time this year when he meets Daniil Medvedev or Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final on Sunday. Already the record holder of 23 men’s Grand Slam singles crowns, the 36-year-old will attempt to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 majors.

Djokovic fell victim to the weight of history on Arthur Ashe Stadium two years ago when, playing for the chance to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar year grand slam, the Belgrade native fell in straight sets to Medvedev.

That’s why on Sunday, in his 36th major final, he’ll be taking it one Grand Slam final at a time.

“Every time in a Grand Slam final it’s another shot for history; I’m aware of it, and of course I’m very proud of it,” Djokovic said. “But I don’t have much time nor do I allow myself to reflect on these things or think about the history too much, because when I did that in the past, like, ’21 finals here, I was maybe overwhelmed with the occasion and the opportunity and I underperformed.

“So I don’t want this to happen again, and I’ll try to, you know, just focus on what needs to be done and tactically prepare myself for that match.”

For the third time in his career, Djokovic has reached all four major finals in the same season. In beating Ben Shelton in straight sets Friday night, Djokovic notched his 22nd victory from his past 23 major semi-finals.

“I’m obviously over the moon with the results so far on Grand Slams,” Djokovic said. “Playing in all four finals of all four slams in a season is amazing. It’s the highest achievement I can think about when I start the season.

“There is another match left, so of course the conversation will be probably even better if I win a title in two days. But definitely whatever happens, I’m extremely proud and content with what I have achieved this year in Grand Slams.”

Novak Djokovic moved to within one win of capturing his 24th major title on Friday when he defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4) to reach a record-equalling 10th US Open final, matching Bill Tilden’s mark.

Playing his 100th match at the hard-court major, the three-time champion demonstrated why he is widely considered the best returner of all time. The Serbian showed great anticipation and hands to neutralise Shelton’s thunderous serve, clinching victory after two hours and 40 minutes against the 20-year-old, who was the youngest American to reach the last four since Michael Chang in 1992.

“These are the kinds of matches and occasions that I still thrive on and get me going and inspire me every day to try and work as hard as the young guys,” Djokovic said. “The Grand Slams are the ones that motivate me the most to play my best tennis, perform my best tennis. I knew prior to the quarter-finals that I would play an American player and that is never easy. To control the nerves and be composed in the moments that matter. Today things were going really smoothly for me and then he broke back and it was anyones game at the end of the third set. This is the kind of atmosphere we all like to play in, so I am really, really pleased with this win today.”

Djokovic, who broke Shelton five times, has now reached the final at all four majors in the same season for the third time in his career (2015, ’21). The 36-year-old also continued his quest to become the oldest man to win the US Open singles title in the Open Era (since 1968). Then-35-year-old Ken Rosewall triumphed in Flushing Meadows in 1970.

“Discipline is everything. I think it is a combination of discipline, will power and clarity of what you want to do,” Djokovic said on reaching his 36th major final. “What your short and long-term goals are. I have been pleased to play this sport for many years and have achieved a lot. I still feel I have something in my legs left. I feel I still have a lot to give to the sport. Another Grand Slam final, I can’t be happier.”

Djokovic has won four titles in 2023, including major crowns at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. He will battle for a record-extending 24th Slam title on Sunday against Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic, who holds a 87-13 record at the US Open, lost to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

“I expect it to be the toughest match of the tournament despite who is going to be across the net from me,” Djokovic said. “Both of them are amazing players. They are in great form. Daniil won against me in the final a couple of years ago. He has probably been the most consistent player at the US Open in the past five years. Then you have Carlos. What he has achieved at 20 years of age is incredible. He is an amazing player and great for our sport. It is going to be an enjoyable match for me to watch.”

Shelton reached the quarter-finals on debut at the Australian Open in January, but had failed to win consecutive matches at his next 18 tour-level events prior to arriving in New York. Armed with a deadly serve, a destructive game and youthful freedom, Shelton showed the world what he was capable of at the final major of the season.

The 20-year-old, currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah, upset seeds Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, hitting two 149 mph serves against the former to become the first unseeded semi-finalist at the US Open since Grigor Dimitrov in 2019.

Shelton, who studied at the University of Florida, was unable to find his way past Djokovic in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, though. The Serbian quickly adjusted to Shelton’s lefty serve, dealing with the pace and variety of spins the American offered up to force the 20-year-old into baseline exchanges.

The 20-year-old thundered a 143mph second serve to hold for 1-0 at the start of the second set and hit several bullet forehands and deft volleys. From 2-4 down in the third set, Shelton rallied to earn himself a set point on Djokovic’s serve at 4-5. The second seed snuffed it out with a big first serve, though, as Shelton struggled to extend his magical moments into prolonged periods of consistency. After levelling at 5-5, Djokovic recovered from failing to serve out the match at 6-5, upping his intensity in the tie-break to clinch his 44th victory of the season.

Djokovic won 84 per cent (56/67) of his first-serve points, struck 28 winners compared to 25 unforced errors and won 88 per cent (23/26) of net points in a consistent display under the roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 36-year-old also extended his winning streak to 31 matches against Americans, having defeated Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. Djokovic last lost against an American at Wimbledon in 2016 when Sam Querrey defeated him in four sets.

Shelton leaves New York up 28 spots to No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and is set to break into the Top 20 for the first time on Monday.

Did You Know?
Djokovic has advanced to 36 Grand Slam finals. He reached his first major title match at the US Open in 2007 (l. to Roger Federer).

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden fell short in the US Open men’s doubles final on Friday against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, but Bopanna earned plenty of respect for a memorable act of sportsmanship.

At 2-4 in the final set, Eden hit a forehand that grazed the Indian’s right arm. The chair umpire did not notice the touch, but Bopanna called it on himself, forfeiting the point.

“When Matt hit that forehand crosscourt, the ball hit my elbow. I don’t think anybody really saw it, So I claimed it on myself,” Bopanna said. “That’s the person I have been through my career, and I really feel if something — it doesn’t matter what the scoreline or what the occasion of the match is — if something was not right, it was not right.

“Straightaway I went and told the referee that the ball had touched. I think she was confused too at what is happening.”

Ebden added: “The only one in the stadium who saw it hit you was me. Because I was right behind you, so I saw it deviate off you slightly.”

During the trophy ceremony after the match, Ram made a point of calling out Bopanna’s sportsmanship.

“Rohan and I are real close and that act of sportsmanship today, what he did out on the court. We have been playing for the better part of 20, 25 years on Tour together and I have never seen anything like that,” Ram said. “Especially in a moment like that because we would have had no idea. It just shows what kind of guy he is and how deserving he is to at this point in his career playing for these kinds of titles. You are an inspiration to all of us.”