NEW YORK – On Friday afternoon, September 5, 2025, Novak Djokovic extended yet another of his records: the oldest player to play the semifinals at all four Grand Slams in a single year.
It was the seventh time in his career that he achieved the feat – a testament to remarkable consistency and longevity.
In 2008, the Serbian pushed through the era of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s dominance; today, he finds himself up against the rise of the Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner duopoly.
Djokovic, a champion who has managed to stay relevant for so many years, seems destined always to be the third man in the mix. Once the young intruder in a landscape ruled by a Swiss and a Spaniard, he went on to surpass them in almost every number and claim nearly all their records. At the same time, his polarising figure and mischievous persona united Federer and Nadal’s fans against him.
More than fifteen years later, he is the only player truly capable of troubling the two who now dominate the majors: an Italian and another Spaniard who have shared the last seven Grand Slam titles between them.
Djokovic has been the constant presence in this season, reaching all the big semi-finals, but finding himself up against fresher younger players in their twenties (except in Australia, where he had to retire against Alexander Zverev, injured and worn out after a five-set quarter-final battle with Alcaraz).
Sinner and Alcaraz were six and four years old respectively when Djokovic beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to claim his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne. From there, the Serb built two of the most iconic rivalries in tennis history to shape the Big Three.
And as with Federer, as with Nadal, Djokovic is already building an intriguing head-to-head with the younger stars.
Against the current world No.1 he has struggled in recent meetings: from a 6-4 lead, the last five have gone the way of the 24-year-old Italian.
Against the Spanish, though, the Serb has found answers: with sheer grit he claimed Olympic gold in Paris 2024, and with less physical strength but an excess of mental toughness and intelligence, he beat him in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Djokovic leads 5-3, having won the last two. In just three years, the rivalry has already played out on all the big stages. This Friday, they face each other at Flushing Meadows for the first time.
The Olympic champion said before the start of this US Open: “There are players capable of taking the place of The Djoker. Somehow I empathise with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Federer and Nadal. I want to see a third player emerge.”
“Hopefully someone can get into the fight. Rune was there, and kind of up and down. Now there’s Fonseca,” he added.
The Dane, the Brazilian? Ben Shelton? Jakub Mensik? Rune struggles with too much inconsistency, Fonseca has yet to take off, Shelton has not maximised his potential, and Mensik has produced no memorable run since his Miami title.
While they wait, Djokovic will keep that seat: the third man at the table – yesterday and today.
