Djokovic easily took the opening two sets, but the young American wasn’t going to give up without a fight. In front of an enraptured crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it looked like the American would turn around and take the third set. But Djokovic held on.
Shelton, ranked 47th in the world, is the youngest American to reach the semifinals of a grand slam tournament since Michael Chang did it in 1992, also at the US Open.
But despite the display of Shelton, he couldn’t hold his own against the three-time US Open winner. Djokovic eventually won in three straight sets (6–3, 6–2, 7–6).
— It is these occasions and these kinds of matches that I enjoy. They get me going and inspire me to wake up in the morning and work as hard as the younger guys,” Djokovic said after the win, continuing:
— I feel that I still have something left in my legs, I feel that I still have something to contribute to the sport.
The last time Djokovic was in a US Open final was in 2021, where he lost to Russian Daniil Medvedev. The reason is that for the past two years, the United States has not allowed entry to people who have not been vaccinated against covid-19. Earlier this year, that requirement was removed.
In the final, Djokovic meets the winner of the semi-final between world number one Carlos Alcaraz and world number three Daniil Medvedev.
That semi-final will be played on the night of Saturday Swedish time.