As the ATP tour neared the halfway point of its 2023 season, the year had been largely defined by what had not occurred. It had been clear for a long time, as they tore through the opposition, that Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz were the best players in the world. Yet the two best players had also, somehow, not faced each other in more than a year.
Things can change so quickly in tennis. In a few short months, this rivalry has come to define the entire men’s season. The important question before the US Open men’s singles semi-finals on Friday is whether either of the remaining challengers can stop Djokovic and Alcaraz from meeting again.
