Novak Djokovic once again proved his mastery over Taylor Fritz, grinding out a four-set victory Tuesday night at the U.S. Open while sparring verbally with parts of a partisan Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
The 38-year-old Serbian defeated Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to improve to 11-0 in their head-to-head and reach a record-extending 53rd Grand Slam semifinal, including a record-tying 14 at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic acknowledged the night was a battle of endurance.
“I was just trying to survive. It’s one of those days where you just have to grind,” he said.
The contest featured tense exchanges with spectators openly cheering his faults — an unwritten taboo in tennis. Djokovic mockingly echoed the umpire’s repeated pleas for calm, heightening the drama as Fritz briefly seized momentum to claim the third set.
Ultimately, Djokovic weathered the storm, saving 11 of 13 break points and winning 25 of 42 rallies that stretched beyond nine strokes. Fritz, the last American man standing, double-faulted on match point to seal his exit, prolonging the U.S. men’s major title drought dating back to Andy Roddick in 2003.
“Great players win the big points,” Fritz said in defeat.
Djokovic now turns his focus to a blockbuster semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz, who cruised past Jiri Lehecka in straight sets earlier Tuesday. Djokovic holds a 5-3 career edge over the Spaniard, including wins at the Australian Open this year and last summer’s Paris Olympics final, where he finally claimed the gold medal.
The remaining men’s quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, with Alex de Minaur facing Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, and defending champion Jannik Sinner meeting compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in an all-Italian clash.