"The veteran never dies," Djokovic admits he is still ready to disrupt Alcaraz and Sinner's "final plans"

After beating Taylor Fritz at the US Open, Djokovic reiterated that he is not in perfect form, but pledged that he "will never surrender on the court" in the semifinal against Alcaraz.

Though Djokovic encountered several small setbacks after arriving at the US Open, including blisters, back pain, and shoulder troubles, he managed to reach the last four thanks to his unbeaten streak against Fritz.

Djokovic won with a score of 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, extending his head-to-head record against Fritz to 11-0, though he did drop a set.

Before the match, he hoped to finish it in three sets, but admitted that Fritz played better for most of the second and third sets, and he was happy to come out on top in the end.

Djokovic said:

"It was an extremely tight match, where either player could have won. I feel lucky to have saved a crucial break point in the second set.

For most of the second and third sets, he was the better player. In matches like this, a few points can decide the outcome. Fortunately, the victory ultimately went to me, especially in the closing stages of the fourth set."

Djokovic is always able to assess himself and his opponent objectively, which is very refreshing. In the final game of the fourth set, Fritz performed very poorly. Everyone watching thought it would go to a tiebreak.

Djokovic will face Alcaraz in Friday's semifinal, marking their ninth career meeting. The seasoned player leads their head-to-head 5-3, with his recent wins coming at this year's Australian Open and last August's 2024 Paris Olympic gold medal match.

Djokovic has begun to feel the effects of age. He said:

"The good news in the schedule is that I now have two days of rest, which helps me a lot. I don’t feel at full strength right now, but I hope that will change in two days."

He added, "The matches won’t get any easier. But as I said, I will take it day by day, take good care of my body, try to relax and recover. The next few days are crucial for me; I must get my body ready and be prepared to play five sets if necessary. So I really hope to be healthy enough to compete and go the distance with Carlos. I know I need to bring my best tennis, but I can handle the pressure.

Usually, I enjoy playing Grand Slams on the big stage. I’m just not sure how my body will feel over the next few days. But I will do my utmost with my team to prepare for this match. One thing is certain: this match will involve a lot of running and not many short rallies."

Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner were the two main favorites before the tournament, with many expecting them to meet in the final at Flushing Meadows. If the schedule unfolds as expected, this would be their third consecutive Grand Slam final meeting—Alcaraz defeated Sinner at the French Open final, and Sinner avenged that loss at Wimbledon.

However, Djokovic wants to spoil this "party."

He said:

"Regarding those two, there’s no need to say much. Everyone knows they are the two best players in the world. Probably everyone is expecting and predicting they will meet in the final. I will try to upset most people’s expectations. Also, keep in mind that Sinner still needs to win several matches to reach the final, but they are undoubtedly the best performers in this tournament.

"From the start of the event, they have shown dominance, but I will definitely not wave the white flag on the court. I believe no one would easily give up against them, especially me. This year, I have again reached the Grand Slam semifinals. My performance in Grand Slams this season has been quite consistent, which is what I said at the beginning of the year—I want to bring my best tennis and achieve the best results in Grand Slams."

It’s worth recalling that during the peak of the "Fedal" rivalry, it was Djokovic who stepped up to challenge the Federer-Nadal duo. Now that the "Sinner-Alcaraz" pair has formed, this "veteran father of tennis" is again taking on the role of challenger?

Sigh! Making the younger generations born in the mid-90s and 2000s feel embarrassed...

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