The US Open men's quarterfinals have crystallized into a fascinating blend of generational battles, historic milestones, and redemption stories. After a first week bringing major upsets that decimated the American contingent and reshuffled the draw's expected narratives, only Taylor Fritz remains to carry home hopes against the sport's most decorated active champion. The promised blockbuster matchups largely fell victim to early exits, leaving Fritz vs. Djokovic as the sole marquee clash that materialized from pre-tournament projections. Meanwhile, defending champion Jannik Sinner's ruthless form sets up an all-Italian showdown with Lorenzo Musetti – a historic first for men's tennis in the Open Era. Carlos Alcaraz continues his flawless campaign without dropping a set, while Felix Auger Aliassime has emerged to become the tournament's giant-killer.
Fritz vs. Djokovic
The release of main draw before the tournament promised some stunning quarterfinal clashes all the fans were looking for. However, the upsets and injury issues happening during the course of first week, made the match-up between Djokovic and Fritz the only one out of those, which materialized. Taylor Fritz enters Tuesday's quarterfinal carrying the weight of American tennis expectations, standing as the last home player remaining in the men's draw. The 26-year-old American delivered a statement performance in his fourth-round victory, dismantling 21st seed Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in just 98 minutes without facing a single break point. Fritz's serving was particularly impressive, firing 14 aces while winning 91% of his first-serve points, a level of dominance that has characterized his remarkable hard-court season where he's compiled a 25-8 record this year, however without winning the tournament so far.
Novak Djokovic, seeking his record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, showed glimpses of his vintage form in Sunday's comprehensive 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 demolition of qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. The 38-year-old Serbian needed just one hour and 49 minutes to dispatch the German, breaking serve six times while dropping just 12 points on his own delivery. Despite requiring treatment from the ATP physiotherapist for his right shoulder and forearm during the match, Djokovic's movement and court coverage appeared uncompromised, suggesting the physical issues that plagued his opening week may be behind him. The German qualifier, despite the discrepancy of ranking and quality between both, was considered as the potential threat due to his storming serve abilities. Struff occured to be too one-dimensioned player for the match-up against Djokovic who seemingly clicked his good gears with the progress of this tournament. He totally neutralized Struff's weapons, winning the impressive 60% of second return and produced 24 pressure points while facing just 10 on own side, efficiently clearing 8 of them.
The head-to-head statistics paint a daunting picture for Fritz: Djokovic leads their rivalry 10-0, having won 23 of the 26 sets they've contested. Their most recent encounter at the 2024 Shanghai Masters saw Djokovic prevail 6-4, 7-6(6), and the Serbian has consistently neutralized Fritz's power game with his exceptional return skills and tactical acumen. Fritz came closest to breakthrough in their 2021 Australian Open third-round meeting, pushing Djokovic to five sets behind 24 aces, but ultimately fell short even despite Djokovic's struggles with a pain in abdominal muscles. Serving is obviously the American's strongest weapon - he wins 91.7% of service games on hard courts this year and 94.4% in this tournament. Those are excellent numbers, but Djokovic almost matches both on course of the whole season and the four rounds played so far. The 24 times Grand Slam champion posseses the advantage on return - winning more 12% return games in this tournament, and converting more chances. He also records best numbers in terms of first return points and second return points than his opponent. Apart from that, Djokovic utilizes 45.1% breakpoints in 2025 on hard courts in compare to Fritz's 40.7%. The difference in this tournament is even bigger - 51.1% brekapoints converted by Djokovic to Fritz's 42.1%.
Sinner vs. Musetti
The final quarterfinal delivers a historic all-Italian showdown between world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti, marking the first Italian men's Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era. Sinner enters as the overwhelming favorite after his breathtaking 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Alexander Bublik, losing just three games to tie his most dominant Grand Slam victory. The defending champion extended his hard-court major winning streak to 25 matches, breaking Bublik's serve eight times after the Kazakh had held all 55 service games through his first three rounds. That was the unbelievably ultimate performance from Sinner against the player who was considered as a real threat who approached this tie with a streak of 20 wins in last 22 matches. Sinner was untouchable on the court, allowing his opponent to create just 3 (!) pressure points during own serve in compare to 40 produced on return.
Lorenzo Musetti has found his best form at the perfect moment, cruising past Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 in just 97 minutes to reach his first US Open quarterfinal. After a difficult summer marred by injury and early losses in Washington and Cincinnati, the 23-year-old has rediscovered the touch that saw him reach semifinals at Monte-Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros earlier this season. His second-set bagel against Munar, where he won all 24 points on serve, showcased the confidence flowing through his game. Musetti called it "probably one of the best sets of his life," demonstrating the dangerous level he can reach when everything clicks. That also shows the improvement of the Italian on hard courts. His record on that surface was just 7-7 before approaching New York. His road to the quarterfinal was quite approachable with the first round opponent Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard being possibly the most dangerous opponent out of all, however Musetti made his best to deny any upset and made his second run of 4 matches won in one tournament on hard courts since winning the ATP 250 in Napoli in October 2022.
The head-to-head favors Sinner 2-0, with both victories coming in straight sets on clay in 2023. This will be their first meeting on hard courts and at a Grand Slam, adding intrigue to an already compelling matchup. Musetti's variety and one-handed backhand artistry provide stylistic contrast to Sinner's all-round dominance, but the world No. 1's superior firepower, consistency, and experience at this stage – 20 Grand Slam match wins at all four majors before age 24 – make him an unplayable obstacle to any opponent. The difference of quality between both on hard courts is so huge, that any other outcome than easy straight sets win for Sinner will be quite a shocker.
Alcaraz vs. Lehecka
Carlos Alcaraz's quest for a second US Open title continues to gather momentum after his clinical 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Arthur Rinderknech. The Spaniard has yet to drop a set through four rounds, a first in his Grand Slam career, while winning an impressive 54 of 55 service games. His fourth-round performance showcased both flair and efficiency, including a spectacular behind-the-back winner that had even his opponent smiling. With 57 wins already in 2025 and maintaining a perfect 10-0 record since Wimbledon, Alcaraz appears to be peaking at the ideal moment.
Jiri Lehecka earned his maiden US Open quarterfinal berth with a gutsy 7-6(4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino after 3 hours and 14 minutes. The 23-year-old Czech unleashed 56 winners compared to Mannarino's 18, showcasing the aggressive baseline game that has propelled him into the world's top 20. Lehecka's resilience was particularly evident when he recovered from losing the third set and falling behind an early break in the fourth, reeling off six consecutive games to close out the match. His 72% first-serve points won and 18 aces demonstrate the serving prowess that could trouble Alcaraz. Lehecka had a stroke of luck in his draw due to Ben Shelton's injury, but his first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance shows the potential displayed by the Czech in lower grade tournaments starts to pay off. He was the favorite of all his matches (the 1.33 odd before Manarinno's match was the highest), and prevailed in that role despite dropping three sets on the road.
The head-to-head favors Alcaraz 2-1, though Lehecka claimed their most recent hard-court meeting in Doha this February, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Their contrasting styles – Alcaraz's all-court brilliance versus Lehecka's power baseline game – should produce compelling rallies. Lehecka's ability to redirect pace and his improved movement have been key factors in his breakthrough season, which includes a Brisbane title and London final. However, Alcaraz's current form, winning 34 of his last 35 matches, and his superior Grand Slam experience (13 quarterfinals at age 22) give him a significant edge. The Czech will need to serve at an elite level and capitalize on any dips in Alcaraz's intensity to spring an upset. The discrepancy of their stats in this tournament is visible, however Lehecka does not fell short in return numbers that much. Both score excellent 2nd return points % with Lehecka being in front by 57.8% to 56.8%. Alcaraz wins 34.5% return games in compare to Lehecka's 31% and they have simillar record of first return points % (Alcaraz 34.5 vs Lehecka 33.7). However, the Spaniard's efficiency on serve is a huge weapon not to deal with, if he brings his proper level on that day.
De Minaur vs. Auger-Aliassime
Alex De Minaur completed his cruise control run into quarterfinals after dismantling Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in just 93 minutes. De Minaur has got quite a luck, having a dream of formidable draw, being the banker favorite in all of the matches so far with the odds respectively 1.04, 1.03, 1.05, 1.06 - almost like the Djokovic/Nadal/Federer routes to their titles in the peak time. The 8th Australian denied any chance of upset from Reidi player, however played without fireworks, hitting 21 winners against just 21 unforced errors and allowing his opponent to create 21 pressure points, producing just 8 more on return. The efficiency was the key though, as he won 17 out of those 29 and utilized 8 breakpoints to seal the victory which looked more impressive on the scoreboard, than on the court itself. De Minaur's consistency on hard courts this season is evident with 23-7 record this year, including his Washington title last month. This marks his sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal and third at the US Open, though he's yet to break through to the semifinal stage at any major.
Felix Auger Aliassime has emerged as the tournament's giant-killer, following up his stunning upset of third seed Alexander Zverev with a comprehensive 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 15th seed Andrey Rublev. The Canadian's aggressive approach has been devastating – he won 24 of 27 net points against Zverev and maintained that attacking mindset against Rublev. He got broken just once after start of first set, then getting back level and controlling the course of this match with extraordinary 42 winners to 33 unforced errors on such a short course of the match. After a difficult season at the majors with early exits at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon, Auger-Aliassime has rediscovered his best form at the perfect moment, reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2022 Australian Open.
Both have met 6 times up to this point, sharing the 3-3 head to head record. The stats from this tournament are hard to compare between both, knowing the difference of opponent's quality which both faced at least in latest two rounds. De Minaur's consistency and dominant return play on the course of whole season is definitely his advantage, however the Canadian scores double digits of aces in each of the tournament so far and showed that he is able to disarm the weapons of top tier opponents like Zverev or Rublev, even despite some moments of downtime in his game. Auger-Aliassime will not have anything against settling the fates of any set in tiebreak, as he is on the streak of 6 consecutive decisive games won, winning 4 out of 4 played at Flushing Meadows last week.
