Tennis
U.S. Open
FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — This was the afternoon Carlos Alcaraz was working toward for eight months.
Facing the greatest player of the modern era, and the demons that come with trying to vanquish him, Alcaraz outmuscled and out-mettled Novak Djokovic on a hard court for the first time in his career. He beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 to make the U.S. Open final for the first time in three years.
For Alcaraz, the win was both decisive and tight all at once, a tense battle in which Djokovic mostly appeared ready to continue his torture of the Spanish magician. The throng of 24,000 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium had come to see the show.
