Carlos Alcaraz was accused of mocking Novak Djokovic with bizarre act in titanic showdown
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will go head-to-head in the US Open semi-final in another titanic showdown between the pair.
It will be the ninth time the two have faced each other on a tennis court, but surprisingly just the second time in 2025.
3
Djokovic leads the head-to-head 5-3 and has won their last two meetings, in the 2024 Olympic final and at the Australian Open in January.
Back in Melbourne, the 24-time Grand Slam winner came from a set down to defeat the young Spaniard in four sets.
That match did not pass without controversy, though, due to an unusual act from Alcaraz that was picked up by the commentary team.
Djokovic suffered an injury scare that saw him require a medical timeout and left his coaching box looking worried.
Read more on tennis
He was in good enough shape to continue their quarter-final showdown, but soon after Alcaraz was seen grabbing his thigh.
The five-time Grand Slam champion was seen limping to his chair at the changeover and commentators John McEnroe and James Blake thought he was taking a shot at Djokovic.
Blake said: “Novak is kind of in his head and when he was coming to the changeover here, he looks like he's actually... you can see the frustration.
“He's kind of limping around as if he's... then he gets up and does it again, looking at his [coaching] box and limping around. And then he's obviously fine, just acting like he's got some sort of an injury there.”
Most read in Tennis
McEnroe added: “That's what I would do if I was playing him, I'd be like Novak, I'd be going right at Novak and be like, hey man, come on. No kidding, I don't blame him.
Before Blake said: “It's clearly the frustration.”
3
Djokovic did not let any of that bother him as he won the three-and-a-half hour contest to book his place in the semi-final.
However, he went on to lose to Alexander Zverev in the semi-final - who then himself lost out to Jannik Sinner in the final.
The 38-year-old will have a tough task facing Alcaraz even though he has won their last two meetings.
Alcaraz has been virtually unstoppable at the US Open, not dropping a set on his way to the final four.
Carlos Alcaraz's record in 2025
Since losing in the Barcelona final to Holger Rune in April, he is 30-1 on all matches across three different surfaces.
His only defeat came in the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner - winning four titles, including the French Open, along the way.
3
Alcaraz's record in 2025 is 54 wins to just six defeats, winning six titles and racking up more than $10m in prize money.
Who will reach the US Open final?
All signs point to Alcaraz meeting Sinner in another Grand Slam final, with the pair facing off at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
It has not been often that Novak Djokovic was the underdog, but the 24-time Grand Slam winner is hoping to upset the odds.
Speaking after his quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz, he said: “We don’t need to spend words about the two of them. They are the two best players in the world and everyone is probably anticipating and expecting the final between the two of them.
“I’m going to try and mess up the plans of most people. Let’s see.
Read More on talkSPORT
“Sinner still has to win a couple of matches to get to the final. They are playing the best tennis of anyone.
“They have been a dominant force since the beginning of the tournament.”