Alcaraz defeated Zverev in the quarterfinals of the US Open

Alcaraz's only defeat at the US Open so far was the loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals in 2021. The then 18-year-old Spanish player had to give up in the second set due to injury.

Alcaraz completely overwhelmed Zverev in the quarterfinals on September 6. The German tennis player who just had a nearly five-hour long battle with Jannik Sinner in the previous round could not maintain stability from the back of the court. Zverev also only achieved a 28% second serve rate, leading to four service losses.

Alcaraz still plays variable, constantly making the opponent move around the field with heavy shots combined with small drops. The 20-year-old player scored 28 points after 35 attacks in this match. He did not lose a service game despite facing five break points from Zverev.

Alcaraz's opponent in the semi-finals is Daniil Medvedev, who also only needed three sets to defeat compatriot Andrey Rublev. Alcaraz has won 24 of the last 25 Grand Slam matches. If he defeats Medvedev, he will catch legendary John McEnroe's record of winning 42 in the first 50 Grand Slam matches. Rafael Nadal won 40 matches, while legends Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Mats Wilander won 41.

Alcaraz won two of the three times he fought Medvedev. He lost to the Russian player in the first meeting at Wimbledon 2021, but won the last two matches. In this season's Wimbledon semi-finals, Alcaraz won overwhelmingly after three sets, allowing only Medvedev to win nine games.

While Medvedev complained about the hot weather in New York last week, Alcaraz appeared comfortable. "I thoroughly enjoyed playing here," the world number one player said after defeating Zverev. "I'm playing at my best level. Last year was very difficult, with many matches lasting five sets. This year I like to gain more strength and be ready to play Medvedev."

The semi-final match between Alcaraz and Medvedev will take place on the morning of September 9, Hanoi time.