World number two Carlos Alcaraz made his youth count as he beat 38-year-old Novak Djokovic to reach another US Open final.
Spain’s Alcaraz, 22, was tested by 24-time major champion Djokovic but had enough quality and energy to win 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in Friday’s first men’s semi-final.
The margins were fine in the first two sets, with Alcaraz rarely near his free-flowing best, but the gap widened as Serbia’s Djokovic faded physically early in the third.
Two weary double faults from Djokovic hurried his opponent into a 3-1 lead and another teed up a first match point for Alcaraz – on which Djokovic batted a volley wide.
Seventh seed Djokovic hung over the net as he waited to congratulate Alcaraz, before waving to all corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium as he departed.
Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, will play both Italian top seed Jannik Sinner and Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s final.
“Being in the final again feels amazing – it means a lot to me,” said Alcaraz.
“It wasn’t the best level of the tournament for me but I kept a cool head from the beginning and the last point.”
Age continues to catch up with Djokovic
Djokovic has built an entire career – arguably the greatest ever seen – on upsetting the status quo.
When he first emerged as a force in the late 2000s, he was the outsider looking to break up the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Nearly 20 years on, Djokovic finds himself squeezed out at the top of the men’s game by Sinner and Alcaraz.
Despite his advancing years and scaled-down schedule, Djokovic is still the world’s third-best player.
There were glimpses of his quality against Alcaraz, such as a vintage backhand winner down the line in the first set, as well as the ball-striking on his way to winning a 27-shot rally in the second.
But ultimately, Djokovic does not quite have the speed or endurance to sustain his highest level against Alcaraz and Sinner.
Alcaraz served well, and backed it up with aggressive groundstrokes early in the rallies, to overpower Djokovic in the key moments.
Former world number one Djokovic has proved this year that he still has enough left to reach the semi-finals of all four majors, but hitting 30 unforced errors indicated the pressure he feels against Alcaraz and Sinner.
Ultimately, he will never believe he cannot win – even when the odds are stacked against him.
“They’re just too good, they’re playing at a high level,” said Djokovic.
“I ran out of gas. I’m happy with my level of tennis – it’s just the physicality of it.”
