Carlos Alcaraz has been a man on a mission since the start of the 2025 US Open, and he’s remained a man on a mission through the semifinals.
Two more days—and maybe a sixth major title—to go.
On Friday, Alcaraz ruthlessly polished off 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. The No. 2 seed finished with his business in a cool two hours and 23 minutes, completing his run to his seventh career Grand Slam final, and second in New York, without dropping a single set.
Since he broke out and won his first of five major titles here in Flushing Meadows in 2022, Alcaraz has been dazzling the tennis world with his stratospheric skills. But at this year’s Open, he has looked a little more business-like from the get-go.
Is it the advent of Carlitos 2.0 we’re witnessing? The further evolution of a larger-than-life talent, who continues to add depth and nuance to his already legendary arsenal?
If so, that’s a scary prospect for the rest of the tour.
Alcaraz, who has spent under 12 hours on court to get through six matches at this year’s US Open (remember he famously broke the all-time record for time on court while winning a major title here in 2022, spending 23 hours and 39 minutes en route to his maiden major title), told reporters that the efficiency is exactly what he is looking for.
“It's something that I'm working on, just the consistency in the matches, in the tournaments, for the year in general,” the 22-year-old said after his 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Djokovic on Friday. “Just not having up-and-downs in the match. The level that I start the match, I just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.
“I'm doing that in this tournament, which I'm really proud about.”
Alcaraz, who is one of four men to reach a US Open final without dropping a set since 2000, along with Roger Federer (2015), Rafael Nadal (2010) and Lleyton Hewitt (2004), chalks it up to maturity. Playing his 19th main draw at the majors, he’s now fully comprehending what it takes to get the most out of himself over a Grand Slam fortnight.
“Probably I'm just getting mature,” he said. “I am just getting to know myself much better, what I need on and off the court. The things that I'm doing off the court I think I'm doing really well, which help a lot, and to play my best tennis. I think it's getting better.”
If there is one way that Alcaraz has made his own life easier at this year’s US Open it is the serve. He has been extremely focused from the service stripe, and seems to finally be completely comfortable with the minor changes he had to his service motion at the start of the season.
“I've been improving myself a lot, and just every practice, every match I've been trying to feel more comfortable with the movement, with hitting good serves, and the percentage as well for me, it's really important,” he said after shutting down Czech Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals without facing a single break point.
Alcaraz has held serve in all but two service games through his six matches, and faced just nine break points, saving seven. He is also winning 65% of his second-serve points, far above his season average entering the tournament (57%).
The ease from the service line seems to have bled into all facets of his game.
“This is the best level or the best feeling that I have so far in a tennis tournament,” Alcaraz said of his serve after his win over Djokovic. “So I will try to continue like that.”
As he prepares for his seventh career Grand Slam final on Sunday, against either Jannik Sinner or Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alcaraz can rest comfortably in the knowledge that while he’s been a tour de force over the last 11 Grand Slam tournaments, winning five, his newfound maturity could be the key to further advances on the sport’s biggest stages.
Once prone to minor mental letdowns, and fits of inconsistency, Alcaraz is now a focused mental fortress—and a more lethal force than ever.
