Djokovic moves further away from Nadal and closer to Federer
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal lead the list of players with the most Major semi-final appearances in the Open era, as they do in practically every other category. Year after year, the great trio has played in 121 Major semi-finals, surpassing the previous leaders Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, and Ivan Lendl. Since Wimbledon 2003, when Federer reached the last four for the first time, the great trio has played in 121 Major semi-finals, standing above their rivals and passing the previous leaders Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, and Ivan Lendl.
Federer leads the list with 46 Major semi-finals, but Djokovic has closed the gap to just four after a remarkable run at the Majors in 2021, winning 27 of 28 matches! Roger has been unable to raise his score in the past six Majors due to a knee injury sustained at last year's Australian Open, allowing Novak to cut the gap on him and leaving Rafael Nadal in third place.
Djokovic has reached 42 Major semi-finals, has reached at least one semi-final in 14 of the last 15 seasons, and is on track to match Federer's record in 2022 or 2023 if he keeps up his current pace. Rafael Nadal had a disappointing Majors season, failing to make the final for the first time since 2016 and only reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
As a result, Novak is now seven semi-finals ahead of him, and it's unlikely that Rafa will ever be able to catch up to Novak for the remainder of their careers, especially if the Spaniard continues to be plagued by injuries.
Novak Djokovic has played in 42 Major semi-finals
Djokovic reached his 42nd Major semi-final at the US Open, giving him four in a row for the first time since 2015 and keeping him in touch with Federer.
Novak competed for the first time since his Olympic Games defeat in New York, vying for tennis glory and a calendar Grand Slam. At the US Open, Djokovic was not at his best, losing the first set to Kei Nishikori, Jenson Brooksby, and Matteo Berrettini, but recovering in time to beat them and reach his 42nd Major semi-final, the 12th in New York in the last 15 years!
Novak beat Alexander Zverev in five sets to reach the final and get closer to tennis glory, but he lost the title match in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev, squandering a wonderful opportunity and remaining on 20 Major titles.
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