How Djokovic excels in the Grand Slam semi-finals
Of the many great statistics of Djokovic in recent years, one of the outstanding achievements is the result in the Grand Slam semi-finals. Since the 2015 Australian Open, Nole has won 21 out of 22 matches in the fourth round against the strongest player at the Grand Slam. His only defeat in the last eight years at this level's semi-final, was a five-set loss to Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros 2019.
Of Djokovic's defeats in the semi-finals, nine are in the top 5 ATP. Up to 10 Grand Slam semi-finals this Serbian player won without losing a set.
By defeating Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the US Open on September 6, Djokovic set a record of reaching the Grand Slam semifinals 47 times. In the previous 46 times, he won 35 matches and lost only 11, achieving a win rate of 76.1% - the second highest in history, just behind Rafael Nadal (78.9%). The person ranked second in terms of appearances in the semi-finals is Roger Federer, who has a 67.4% win rate in the Grand Slam semi-finals.
According to ATP data, only 12 players have achieved a win rate of 76% or more in their entire career, let alone in the Grand Slam semi-finals. This comparison further shows Nole's greatness.
Of Djokovic's 11 losses in the Grand Slam semi-finals, eight were against two great rivals in the "Big 3" group. He lost four matches to Federer and four matches to Nadal.
Statistics about Djokovic's achievements in the Grand Slam semi-finals will not bring a comfortable feeling to Ben Shelton - his opponent on the night of September 8. The 20-year-old tennis player just set a record for serving speed at the 2023 US Open, with 239.7 km/h. With good serve ability, Shelton can completely think about dragging Djokovic into tie-break series, in his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.
But that is not necessarily an effective solution. Since the 2014 US Open, Djokovic has never lost a tie-break in a Grand Slam semi-final. In the seven head-to-head series he's had to play in the fourth round of the strongest since, he's lost only 24 points in total, averaging more than three points each tie-break hit seven. Particularly for the tie-break series with Nadal at Wimbledon 2018, Djokovic lost nine points. Thus, in the remaining six series, the Serbian player lost only 15 points.
Shelton can hope to create a surprise, as Djokovic has lost two matches against opponents who are participating in the Grand Slam semi-finals for the first time. The first time was in the 2010 Wimbledon semi-finals against Tomas Berdych, the other time was against Kei Nishikori in the 2014 US Open semi-finals. The two players who won against Djokovic then lost in the final.
