The world's No. 1 tennis player will face off against the player who has held that distinction the most in men's tennis history for a spot in the French Open final.
Carlos Alcaraz has held onto the ATP No. 1 ranking for the past two weeks after moving ahead of Novak Djokovic, who has been in the top spot for 387 weeks in his illustrious career. On Friday, Alcaraz will look to maintain his position and take another step toward winning a second Grand Slam title when he faces Djokovic, now No. 3 in the world, in the French Open men's singles semifinals.
MORE: Follow Alcaraz vs. Djokovic live!
The two have faced off once before, in the 2022 Madrid Open. Alcaraz came out on top in a three-set nail-biter, 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5). Alcaraz went on to win the tournament, beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final.
Djokovic has already added a Grand Slam title to his resume this year, having won the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, however, he has come up empty in four straight tournaments. Alcaraz, on the other hand, has dominated in the 2023 calendar. After withdrawing from the Australian Open, he has won four tournaments and lost only three times.
MORE: Watch Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz live with Fubo (free trial)
The pressure will be on for Djokovic. If he beats Alcaraz, he moves past the toughest competitor left in the field as he looks for a record 23rd Grand Slam men's singles title, which would break a tie with Rafael Nadal.
The winner of the Djokovic-Alcaraz match will face No. 4 Casper Rudd or Zverev, the No. 22 seed, in Sunday's final.
Looking to watch the semifinal matchup? Here's what you need to know to catch the clash.
What time does Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz start?
- Start time: 8:45 a.m. ET Friday, June 9 (approximate)
Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz will be the first of two men's semifinal matches on Court Philippe-Chartrier at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris on Friday. The match will start no earlier than 8:45 a.m. ET (2:45 p.m. local time).
How to watch Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz at French Open
- TV channel: Tennis Channel
- Live stream: Tennis Channel Plus, Fubo
Tennis Channel will carry the match between Djokovic and Alcaraz on Friday morning.
Tennis fans will also have two options to stream the match. Tennis Channel Plus will carry coverage, as will Fubo, which offers a free trial.
French Open bracket 2023
Men's semifinals
Friday
| Match | Time (ET) |
| No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 3 Novak Djokovic | 8:45 a.m. |
| No. 4 Casper Rudd vs. No. 22 Alexander Zverev | 11:30 a.m. |
Men's final
Sunday
| Match | Time |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9 a.m. ET |
