ATP Tour
Why Federer’s advice is shaping Alcaraz’s five-year plan
Spaniard reflects on US Open semi-final win against Djokovic
September 06, 2025
Maddie Meyer and Julian Finney/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz is pursuing his second title at the US Open, where Roger Federer triumphed in five straight years from 2004-08.
By ATP Staff
Twenty-two-year-old Carlos Alcaraz revealed after his victory against 38-year-old Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals Friday that advice he received from another player has helped him avoid looking too far ahead.
“Thank God that’s too far for me right now,” Alcaraz said when asked if he would like to play at 38. “One person once told me that you don’t have to think about 35, 38 years old, still playing at that age. He told me, ‘You have to be focused on the next five years’, from here to when I am 27. And then, when I get 27, then think about five years more.
“It’s not about thinking in 15 or 20 years. It’s just about going year by year or just thinking about just five years maximum.
We will see. We will see until what age I will try to take care about my body as good as I can.”
The natural question was to ask which player gave Alcaraz the advice. Given his 2024 Dartmouth commencement speech filled with pearls of wisdom, the answer will not surprised fans.
“Who told me was Roger,” Alcaraz said of Roger Federer. “So I think that’s the best person [who] could tell me that, and I will try to follow his words.”
Federer succeeded late into his career like Djokovic, making the Wimbledon quarter-finals aged 39. But the Serbian has shown even greater consistency this season, making the semi-finals at all four majors.
“I’m playing against Novak. It’s not easy playing against him, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I’m thinking about the legend, what he has achieved in his career. It’s difficult not to think about it. So that makes facing him even tougher.
“But I’m just really happy to get my first win against him on the hard court and making another final here. Today I didn’t feel really nervous, but just a little bit because of that.”
Djokovic was unable to put Alcaraz into difficulty Friday, but the Serbian defeated the Spaniard at this year’s Australian Open and in last year’s Paris Olympics gold medal match.
“It’s impressive. It’s impressive what he has done this year in the Slams, reaching the semi-final in every Slam, challenging the Next Gen,” Alcaraz said. “Challenging us the way he’s doing, it’s impressive. I told him always he looks 25 years old physically, so to maintain that level at 38, it’s impressive.”
Three years on from winning the US Open as a 19-year-old and by doing so becoming the younger No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history, Alcaraz is one win from claiming glory in New York again. The second seed will take on rival Jannik Sinner or Felix Auger-Aliassime for the trophy.
“If I’m playing against Jannik, obviously I’m going to take things [from] the past matches that I’ve played against him. The past one or the past three matches, I’m going to take note, and I will see what I did wrong, what I did great in the matches, just to approach the final in a good way,” Alcaraz said.
“But if I’m playing against Felix, it’s going to be the same. I’m going to watch the previous matches against him, and I will take note about the good things and the bad things that I did.”
