Preview US Open ATP Semi-Finals: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic blockbuster, Jannik Sinner to face ferocious Felix Auger-Aliassime

On the other hand, Alcaraz has glided into the last four with barely a scratch. His opener against Reilly Opelka tested his return game, but he closed it 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. From there, the Spaniard was merciless: dispatching Italy's Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, and crushing Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. In the fourth round, he shrugged off Arthur Rinderknech with a clinical 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4, before outclassing Jiri Lehecka in the quarters 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Five matches, five straight-set wins. Where Djokovic has needed guile and endurance, Alcaraz has needed little more than his natural rhythm showcasing effectivity and efficiency.

Their head-to-head tells a story of shifting tides. Djokovic leads 5-3 overall, with two consecutive wins, the most recent coming at this year’s Australian Open quarter-final, a four-set masterclass in problem-solving. He also edged their Olympic final in Paris last summer, adding another jewel to his endless collection. Yet Alcaraz holds some symbolic victories: his straight-sets destruction at Wimbledon 2024, and the epic five-set triumph on Centre Court the year before that felt like a changing of the guard. Each battle seems to flip the narrative so the question will be, is Djokovic still the immovable monarch, or has Alcaraz found the key to the kingdom?

Start time (local): Fri, 5 Sep, 3:00 PM

Start time (your time): Sat, 6 Sep, 3:00 AM

Court: Arthur Ashe Stadium

Tournament: US Open

Round: Semifinal

Jannik Sinner vs Felix Auger-Aliassime

While all eyes gravitate toward the marquee Djokovic–Alcaraz clash, the other semi-final promises its own brand of tension and drama. Jannik Sinner, the world number one, has navigated Flushing Meadows with the poise of a seasoned champion. He opened against Vit Kopriva with a crisp 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory, then followed it with another dominant straight-sets display over Alexei Popyrin (6-3, 6-2, 6-2).

The third round brought his first challenge in the form of Denis Shapovalov, a four-set test that Sinner passed with calm authority, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. In the round of 16, Sinner crushed Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, and his quarter-final performance against Lorenzo Musetti was clinical: 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Through five matches, the Italian has dropped just a single set, a testament to his relentless baseline control and impeccable shot selection.

Alternatively, the 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime has carved his way into the semis with a mixture of grit, resilience, and flashes of raw power. His first-round win over Billy Harris set the tone, 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-4, followed by a straight-sets victory against Roman Safiullin (6-1, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4)). The third round tested him against Alexander Zverev, a battle he won in four sets (4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4), and in the round of 16, he outlasted Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. The quarter-final was another gruelling test: a four-set war against Alex de Minaur, where he clawed back from the brink to win 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4). Each match has illustrated his resilience under pressure and the evolution of a player who now seems determined to write his own script.

A look at the head-to-head displays a story of narrow margins and evolving narratives. Auger-Aliassime holds a 3-1 advantage historically, but Sinner’s most recent victory in Cincinnati earlier this year, a blistering 6-0, 6-2, signals that the balance may be shifting. Their rivalry reads like a narrative of evolution under pressure.

Auger-Aliassime triumphed in Madrid 2024 and twice in 2022, each victory a testament to his raw power and aggression. Yet this was before Sinner became the player he is today, who has now absorbed those defeats, and turned past setbacks into lessons: his movement sharper, his timing more precise, his mental fortitude hardened. Now, every point carries the weight of experience on both sides, transforming their encounters into a battle of wits and will rather than a simple replay of history.

As the night falls over Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 2025 US Open men's semi-finals are set to unfold as a masterclass in tension and spectacle. Nevertheless, the semi-finals promise drama, unpredictability, and brilliance in equal measure, a reminder that at Flushing Meadows, greatness is never given; it is earned, point by point, under some of the brightest lights in sport.

Start time (local): Fri, 5 Sep, 7:00 PM

Start time (your time): Sat, 6 Sep, 7:00 AM

Court: Arthur Ashe Stadium

Tournament: US Open

Round: Semifinal