NEW YORK In the tennis metric that matters most historically, Carlos Alcaraz has already put together a career eclipsing the likes of Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Jim Courier while nipping at the heels of Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. And yet, even with five Grand Slam titles, the 22-year old Alcaraz arrived at this U.S. Open as an entity not yet fully formed.
It wasnt just Alcarazs age that gave rise to the notion his game wasnt as mature as his résumé. It was the obvious moments of inconsistency, the dips in focus during matches and the lack of clarity in his decision-making, none of which had impacted him much except against one opponent.
But if Alcarazs relative struggles against Novak Djokovic represented the gap between where he was and where he has the potential to go, Fridays semifinal was a different mile marker.
The relationship between master and ingenue has changed. Alcarazs only competition in this matchup is himself, and in their ninth career meeting it finally became a blowout.
Alcarazs 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 victory wont look like a breakthrough in the history books for a player who will spend the next decade trying to rewrite them. But by making the U.S. Open final without dropping a set and bullying his way through Djokovic on a day he didnt have his A-plus stuff the Spaniard unlocked a new level of his greatness.
For an all-time talent who still hasnt come close to his prime, the training wheels are finally off.
Alcarazs near-pristine form in this U.S. Open does not mean hes a lock to win this title Sunday for the second time in his career. If No. 1 Jannik Sinner takes care of business in Friday nights second semifinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime, it will set up the third straight Grand Slam final between them in a rivalry that looks more like a coin flip.
But heres why its so important that Alcaraz finished off Djokovic the way he did Friday.
Over the past two years, weve seen plenty of Alcarazs high end. Thats how hes won two Wimbledons, two French Opens and a U.S. Open in the first 18 majors of his career along with eight Masters 1000-level tournaments.
The problems, such as they are, were entirely related to the consistency and maturity with which he approaches the job on a day-to-day, even sometimes point-to-point basis. Like so many genius entertainers, the desire to show off his entire array of skills did not always serve him well on days when he simply needed to get the job done.
Aside from last years Wimbledon final when Alcaraz took advantage of a Djokovic who was just weeks removed from knee surgery, those impulses have been most apparent in this matchup.
From Djokovics 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 win in the 2023 Cincinnati final arguably one of the best matches ever played outside of the majors to last summers Olympic gold medal bout, it was very apparent that being older and more disciplined was the X-factor to get Alcaraz off his game.
By the time they met in this years Australian Open quarterfinal, Djokovic was in his head. Alcaraz couldnt get into a full flow, approaching each shot with an edginess as if the entire history of their rivalry had been downloaded into his mind.
And so a narrative formed: Sinner was the machine-like winner; Alcaraz the high-wire act who could either blast into the heavens or self-combust on the spot.
But in between leaving Australia and walking of center court Friday, he’s proven it untrue.
Dating back to the Monte Carlo Masters in April, Alcaraz has now made the finals in his last eight tournaments. If he wins Sunday, it would be his sixth title over that stretch. Hows that for consistency?
At various points in the past couple years, other players on tour could hope Alcaraz would succumb to immaturity and open a glide path to a Grand Slam final. But now, even Djokovic has to admit thats unlikely outside of an injury.
It’s expected that the young guys are improving, he said. These two players (Sinner and Alcaraz) are the best in the world right now, and if youre not improving then something isnt right. There is no doubt they are better and better each year.
If you were looking for confirmation of Alcarazs growth, this match was the proof of concept.
Outside of a 10-minute stretch at the beginning of the second set when he unnecessarily dumped a service game, Alcaraz was all business. No, he wasnt perfect or as sharp as he had been for most of this U.S. Open, admitting in the post-match interview that his level was lower than in previous rounds when he effortlessly dusted opponents off the court.
But thats what the dominant players do.
They win without their best. They eventually render the guile of their older rivals meaningless. They turn the most expensive day session ticket in U.S. Open history into a bust. They show us in real time what it looks like to climb the ladder of all-time greats.