Novak Djokovic saved his first 10 break points Tuesday night against American Taylor Fritz under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium with a trip to the US Open semifinals on the line. When No. 7 Djokovic finally lost a break point, he responded by breaking Fritz right back and then claiming a second-set victory that he celebrated by blowing kisses to a Flushing Meadows crowd that initially appeared split in its allegiance to the all-time great Serbian and the California-born Fritz. Early in the third set, the 38-year-old Djokovic flashed a tweener that disguised his age. It didn't win him the point, however, it showcased his growing confidence in a match that visibly frustrated the 27-year-old and No. 4 seeded Fritz. Djokovic came in with a 10-0 record against Fritz that didn't budge on American soil — not even after Fritz found a third-set groove that bought him another hour in the tournament. After winning Tuesday's quarterfinal 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, Djokovic will now play Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster semifinal round Friday. On a mission to avenge hisdefeat to Italy's Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, the No. 2 seeded Alcarazhas yet to drop a setthrough five matches of this year's US Open. Djokovic is 5-3 against the 22-year-old, three-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who Djokovic notably beat in the final of the 2024 Olympics but lost to twice in Wimbledon finals. Nerves and untimely unforced errors and double faults handcuffed Fritz at critical points of Tuesday night's quarterfinal. A wide backhand up the line cost him a potential break opportunity in the first game of the match. Long returns hurt Fritz in the second game, during which his best weapon — his powerful first serve — was also off the mark. Even so, he fired a pressure-cooked, forehand winner to force a deuce. But, with the advantage in hand, Djokovic got Fritz on the run during break point, ultimately establishing a 2-0 set lead that soon ballooned to 3-0. Fritz won his next three service games, the third of which saw him dig himself out of a set-point hole. After that, down 5-3, he nearly broke a suddenly error-prone Djokovic, but Djokovic prevailed after a 25-shot, break-point rally and a cinematic, back-and-forth deuce that saw him deposit a deft drop shot. Fritz immediately bounced back in the second set, crushing his first two service games against Djokovic to take a 2-1 lead. He then once again flirted with breaking Djokovic, except his will he, won't he effort fell short in deuce for the second time. Djokovic finished off the marathon, set-tying game with a cross-court winner and crowd stare down. The next game, Fritz followed up a beaming backhand winner with a 124 mph serve before going back up in front 3-2. He kept knocking on the door of a momentum-shifting break, except Djokovic kept rescuing break points. Fritz finally paired a service game win with a break in the 10th game of the second set. Tied 5-5, Fritz had fans engaged and the opportunity of a lifetime. And then he double faulted twice, handing the break back to Djokovic, who claimed a two-set lead in the next game. Fritz forces a fourth!He takes the third set 6-3.pic.twitter.com/UnQjSlpwY5 — US Open Tennis (@usopen)September 3, 2025 With his back against the wall, Fritz played his best in the third set. His serve delivered the aces he'd been riding throughout the tournament, he capitalized on a crowd that started to make Djokovic antsy and he got an early set break to propel him to a 6-3 win. Fritz's forehand improved throughout the match, just like his serve. But it was too little, too late. He and Djokovic traded service games in the fourth set before Djokovic broke Fritz in the 10th game, during which Fritz grinded out three rallies yet lost a tightly contested deuce on a double fault. The Serbian is still searching for his unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title. He made the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this summer, however, aninjury he suffered in the quarterfinalshampered him at the All England Club, where he bowed out to Sinner 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Injuries have been a thorn in Djokovic's side recently. He exited this year's Australian Open after just one set in his semifinal match because of a torn hamstring. During the 2024 French Open, he had to withdraw before the quarters after he had torn the meniscus in his right knee, an injury that required surgery. During this year's US Open, hebattled through a gruesome toe blisterwhile authoring a first-round victory over 19-year-old American Learner Tien. The next round, Djokovic dropped the opening set another young American, Zachary Svajda. Buthe recovered to improve to 36-0 in the first two rounds of the US Open all time. In the process, Djokovic advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the 75th time in his career, the most such appearances of anyone in the sport. With two more wins — including a straight-set, fourth-round victory over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff — Djokovic became the oldest player to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 1991 when Jimmy Connors got there at 39 years old. Along the way, he has also been attended to for lower back and neck issues, granted neither of which appeared to significantly affect his play. While older and more susceptible to injury, the battle-tested Djokovic remains a threat in Grand Slams. He still has Fritz's number, that's for sure.
