Novak Djokovic on course for 24th grand slam
Roger Federer has chosen his favourite to win the US Open this year, with just four men remaining in the hunt to dethrone Carlos Alcaraz. The 2022 champion reached the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday and is joined by Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton in the final four.
The 20-year-old Spanish star faces world No 3 Medvedev for a place in the final against either Djokovic or home favourite Shelton, in what could be a repeat of the Wimbledon final that further etched Alcaraz’s name into the history books and ensured that he would be the player with a target on his back at Flushing Meadows.
But Federer does not believe that Alcaraz will claim back-to-back US Open titles and would place his money on another competitor. When asked for his prediction on who would win this year’s tournament by Sports Illustrated Germany, the Swiss star replied: “I would bet on Novak Djokovic. That’s a safe bet.”
The Serb broke Federer’s record earlier in the tournament by becoming the first man to reach a 47th Grand Slam semi-final in his career. As many as 13 of those semis have come in New York, though Djokovic has not won the US Open since 2018.
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Despite predicting Djokovic to oust Alcaraz as champion ahead of what could be a blockbuster final on Sunday if the pair overcome Shelton and Medvedev respectively, Federer has previously insisted that he does not want to put too much pressure on young players such as the 20-year-old Spaniard.
Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic previously claimed that Alcaraz was “some sort of a sick combination of Djokovic, Federer and [Rafa] Nadal”, to which the 42-year-old reacted by explaining how impressed he is with Alcaraz after his victory at SW19.
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US Open tennis makes its long-awaited return to Sky Sports and it’s certainly not something to be missed.
Sky Sports subscribers on Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Sky Q, and the Sky Sports app will be able to watch all courts for the first time on Sky Sports.
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Never fear as you can get Sky Glass, Sky TV, Netflix for £14 a month for six months – thanks to a limited time deal.
You can also get six months Sky Sports completely free.
“He [Ljubicic] said that? That is quite a compliment. It’s a lot to live up to. I think Carlos at his young age, the age that he is right now, he’s doing incredible things,” Federer said. “I always don’t like to put too much pressure on younger players, especially like, ‘He’s going to do this’.
“But he’s the type of player who says, ‘Well, I’m coming to Wimbledon, I’m coming to win. I’m coming to Paris, I’m coming to win’. So he’s putting that pressure on his own which is great.
“And that’s why I can then also say, I think he will achieve incredible things in the future. Which means multiple Slams, many years as hopefully as the world No 1.”
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