Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot against Taylor Fritz, of the United States, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns a shot to Jiri Lehecka, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Lorenzo Musetti, of Italy, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, returns a shot to Alex de Minaur, of Australia, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot against Taylor Fritz, of the United States, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns a shot to Jiri Lehecka, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Lorenzo Musetti, of Italy, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, returns a shot to Alex de Minaur, of Australia, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have started their matchup in the U.S. Open men's semifinals Friday.
Defending champion in the second semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
All have won multiple Grand Slam titles except , a 25-year-old from Canada trying to make it to his first major final.
Sinner vs. Auger-Aliassime is scheduled to begin after Alcaraz vs. Djokovic ends, but not before 7 p.m. EDT.
The two winners will face each other on Sunday for the title. Sinner could become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer won the hard-court tournament five years in a row from 2004 through 2008.
Djokovic, who is 38, owns 24 singles trophies from the four most important tournaments in tennis, including four at Flushing Meadows, and is trying to become the first player in the sport's history to get No. 25.
Alcaraz, 22, has won five, and Sinner, 24, has won four. They have combined to collect the past seven Slam championships and nine of the last 12. Djokovic won the other three in that span, most recently at the 2023 U.S. Open.
were trying to set up a showdown in the final at a third consecutive major event. Alcaraz defeated Sinner in five sets at the French Open in June; Sinner beat Alcaraz in four sets at Wimbledon in July.
Djokovic has made it to the semifinals at all four Slams in 2025 — and exited at that stage at the first three, including losses to Sinner at Roland-Garros and the All England Club.
Auger-Aliassime is in the final four at a major for the second time in his career. He was eliminated in the U.S. Open semifinals in 2021.
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:
