Tennis
2025-09-05 - Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
Tennis: US Open Semi Final
Friday 5th September 2025 - Scheduled 3pm
8pm (British Time)
Preview
The Semi Final line up has been set and Novak Djokovic has to be privately thinking that the US Open has panned out exactly as he would have expected.
The former World Number 1 has made it clear in multiple interviews that he feels his pathway to winning a 25th Grand Slam title will feature him having to beat both of the top two players in the Rankings.
Barring an upset in the other Semi Final, Novak Djokovic is almost certainly going to have beat Jannik Sinner IF he is able to find a way past Carlos Alcaraz in the final four.
The key for Novak Djokovic is trying to make sure he has enough left in the tank to take on the the top two players at the business end of a Grand Slam. He has not looked at his best in the early Rounds and did drop a couple of sets he should not have, while Novak Djokovic has come through a tough Quarter Final against Taylor Fritz and so there are plenty of questions for him to answer.
He is taking on Carlos Alcaraz, the World Number 2 who won the title in Cincinnati and who has yet to drop a set at the US Open.
The draw has been kind as far as the Spaniard is concerned with none of the previous wins being against players Ranked inside the top 20 as things opened up. This is without a doubt the toughest test that Carlos Alcaraz will have faced at the US Open, but he has been placed as a significant favourite all things considered and Novak Djokovic will take plenty of motivation from that.
Carlos Alcaraz does have two Grand Slam Final wins over Novak Djokovic, both at Wimbledon, but it was the Serb who came through in a four set Quarter Final at the Australian Open earlier this year. That means Novak Djokovic has won the last two matches between the players, including in the Gold Medal match at the Paris Olympics, and it does feel like the veteran is being dismissed a bit too easily by the layers.
Novak Djokovic is going to have to be at his best to find a way to earn the upset.
He did play well against Taylor Fritz, a player that Djokovic has dominated, and it would be a surprise if the World Number 7 is not able to win at least one set.
It is going to be tough at times against a confident Carlos Alcaraz, and the expectation is that the World Number 2 will find a way to win this match, but Novak Djokovic can make it a competitive Semi Final.
Both men should have the capabilities to win a set and that should push this match past the total games line in this big match.
For Novak Djokovic it is key to at least split the first two sets in this match if he is going to earn the upset and the experience of the veteran should allow him to do that.
Winning the match will be tough though and Carlos Alcaraz is expected to be too strong over four sets.
Prediction
Look for the two players to combine for enough games to cover this total line set.
The Pick :
Novak Djokovic 1-3 Carlos Alcaraz
