Novak Djokovic sets record for most Grand Slam semifinal appearances after victory at US Open

Novak Djokovic continues to rewrite the record books.

The Serbian defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets (6-1, 6-4, 6-4) on Tuesday in the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open — business as usual for the 36-year-old.

However, this quarterfinal victory broke an all-time record he previously shared with Roger Federer for not even two whole months.

Djokovic will be playing in his 47th Grand Slam semifinal on Friday, which will be the most of any men’s tennis player ever.

Federer played in 46 Grand Slam semis. He had previously beaten Jimmy Connor’s record of 31 when he won his quarterfinal match at the 2012 Wimbledon, a Grand Slam that he eventually won. He also made 23 semifinals in a row from 2004 to 2010. Out of those 46 semis, he won 31 of them.

But Djokovic tied that mark overseas in July when he set up his date in the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships. He won that match, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

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Ironically enough, Djokovic could face Alcaraz, the same man who also beat him in last year’s U.S. Open final, on Sunday for his 24th Grand Slam, which would extend his record.

Djokovic entered the year with 43 semifinals appearances. He’s made four straight and won the Australian Open and French Open this year. He is 35-11 in his previous 46 semifinal matches.

In 26 Grand Slams from the 2010 Wimbledon through the 2016 U.S. Open, Djokovic made the semifinals in all but two of them. He hit a skid in 2017 and 2018, missing out on six straight, but he has turned back the clock. In his last 19 Grand Slams, he’s made the semis in 16 of them.

He will face the winner of Tuesday’s nights all-American match between No. 10 Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, who recently wowed the crowed with 149-mph serves.