Novak Djokovic warned as Carlos Alcaraz's coach leaks tactic to win US Open clash

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will renew their rivalry in the US Open semi-final on Friday, and the Spaniard's team are already planning to wear Djokovic down. Aged 38, the Serb has reached the semi-finals of all four Majors this season, though he's not been to a final.

Juan Carlos Ferrero - the former world No. 1 who has been working with Alcaraz since he was a teenager - has now shared some of their tactics, admitting that he wanted his charge to "push Djokovic to the limit" and exploit any physical limitations.

Djokovic still has a winning 5-3 record against Alcaraz, and he beat the 22-year-old when they met in the Australian Open quarter-final back in January.

But Ferrero believes Alcaraz is a different player now, having reached at least the finals of his last seven tournaments. "The difference is consistency. We've worked on that, and it's improving," he told Onda Regional de Murcia.

"We shouldn't obsess over Novak; Carlos needs to focus on himself and try to push Djokovic to the limit until the match becomes physically difficult for him due to Carlos's pace."

However, the retired tennis star-turned-coach still doesn't believe Alcaraz is the favourite to advance to Sunday's final.

He added: "Favouritism is out of the question. Carlos is playing spectacularly, with a lot of confidence, but I don't dare say he's the favourite. Novak will give his all; it will be extremely tough."

However, Alcaraz and his camp are hoping to have one advantage they didn't have in Melbourne earlier this year.

Djokovic's semi-final clash with the world No. 2 is expected to be the daytime match on Friday, as they have had an extra day to recover compared to the players in the other half of the draw.

And Ferrero hopes it will work in Alcaraz's favour. "In Australia, they played at night, and that favoured Novak a bit. If we played here during the day, we believe the conditions would be much better for us," he explained.

Djokovic has made it no secret that it's becoming increasingly difficult to look after his body as he gets older. He's sparked injury concerns several times this fortnight, calling the physio and receiving treatment during some matches.

"I put in a lot of hours on and off the court to make sure that my body is fit and recovered well," the four-time champion in Flushing Meadows said earlier in the tournament.

"But you know, age is age, you can't fight that. So, things are different. I have to adjust with the way I approach things."

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