Vintage Djokovic can count on his mental edge versus Alcaraz

Apart from the downside of having to miss his daughters birthday, Novak Djokovic is exactly where he would have hoped to be coming into the season’s last Grand Slam: in the last four, just like the first three Slams.

- Rutvick Mehta

Now is when things have become a lot more difficult for the 38-year-old this year.

Carlos Alcaraz awaits in the US Open semifinal. It's the same stage where Djokovic has exited in this season's three Slams due to an ageing body (retired against Alexander Zverev at Australian Open) and younger challengers (lost to Jannik Sinner at French Open and Wimbledon). Now is when Djokovic desperately seeks an extra push to lift him against his current two biggest rivals that, at this stage of Slams, invariably lurk.

Alcaraz, 22, has been flying in New York, making a Slam semifinal without dropping a set for the first time in his career.

Djokovic has been huffing and puffing physically and, at times, barely “trying to survive” in contests, as he analysed parts of his performance in the 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 quarterfinal victory against Taylor Fritz.

Now is when Djokovic has felt like his tank runs half-empty by the time he steps on court to take on these twenty-something major champions. How loaded up the 24-time Slam champion’s tank feels could well determine which ‘way this much anticipated semifinal will go on Friday (Saturday morning IST). “Let's see in two days’ time,” Djokovic said. “Good thing is that Ihave two days withouta match, so that helps a lot.”