Daniil Medvedev stuns Carlos Alcaraz in US Open semis to set up finals matchup with Novak Djokovic – a rematch of the 2021 championship, which the Russian won in straight sets

Daniil Medvedev stunned No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz with a phenomenal four set victory to set up a mouthwatering final vs. Novak Djokovic. 

The Russian No. 3 seed held his nerve after Alcaraz tried, but failed, to fight back from two sets down. 

After claiming the third, Alcaraz could not overcome the genius of Medvedev, who needed four match points to take the fourth, ultimately winning 7-6 6-1 3-6 6-3.

Immediately following the match, Medvedev put his finger to his ear following the elimination of last year’s champion. 

Despite something of a love-hate relationship with the Arthur Ashe crowd, he said they were ‘unbelievable’ before adding a small selection of unruly Alcaraz fans ‘can go to sleep now.’ 

Medvedev has the opportunity to once more crush Djokovic’s US Open dreams. He defeated the Serb – and denied him a calendar slam – in the 2021 iteration.

It halted Djokovic from completing what would have been the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since Rod Laver in 1969. 

‘The challenge is that you play a guy that won 23 Grand Slams, and I have only one,’ Medvedev said postgame. 

‘When I beat him here, I managed to play better than myself, so I need to do it again. There is no other way.’ 

As for Alcaraz, he failed to uphold his end of tournament organizers’ utopian bargain, failing to ensure a repeat of the Wimbledon classic.

‘These kind of matches can happen. Even if I feel I’m a more mature, different player,’ a disappointed Alcaraz said following the loss. 

‘He played really really great. A great game. I couldn’t find solutions. I thought right now I’m a better player to find solutions when the match isn’t going the right direction for you. 

‘After this match, I’m gonna change my mind. I’m not mature enough to handle these kind of matches.’ 

Alcaraz was asked how long he’ll stew over this setback.

‘Days? Weeks? I don’t know,’ he responded. ‘I don’t think I’m going to think about this loss for a long time.’

While Alcaraz is still pondering come Sunday, Medvedev will be in his third Flushing Meadows final. The Russian admitted he played a ’12 out of 10 game’ to get there.

‘To beat him you’ve got to be better than yourself and tonight I did it,’ he said of Alcaraz during his on-court postgame interview. 

Djokovic and Medvedev have played 14 times throughout their career, with the 23-time slam champion leading the head-to-head, 9-5. 

Medvedev won their most recent encounter 6-4 6-4 at the Dubai Tennis Championships in March. 

The Serbian sensation won the four prior, though they have not met at a slam since Medvedev’s stunning upset.