Alexander Zverev is riding an outstanding 16-match winning streak after claiming gold at the Olympics, defeating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, and then picked up Cincinnati's Masters 1000 event. The German remains unstoppable at the US Open, but according to Zverev he will have to be "perfect" in his next match.

Why perfect? Well, because Djokovic will be standing across the net looking to capture revenge for his Tokyo loss. Not to mention, the Serbian is a three-time US Open champion, 20-time overall major winner and he's claimed all three Slams this year. With Djokovic vying for a calendar Grand Slam, Zverev is prepared to bring his very best to the court in Friday's semifinal.

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“Yeah, against him (Djokovic) you prepare that you have to play the best match that you can," Zverev said. "You have to be perfect, otherwise you will not win. Most of the time you can’t be perfect. That’s why most of the time people lose to him."

The 24-year-old has gotten the better of Djokovic three times out of their nine bouts and will have an opportunity to continue to close the gap against who he deems as "the best in the world."

Beating Djokovic in Tokyo is giving him confidence that he can repeat it again on another big stage in tennis.

“This year it seems like nobody can beat him in a big match, nobody can beat him at the Grand Slams. I feel like I was the first player to beat him in a very big match this year. That does give you something. To any person it would give you something,” he said.

The stakes will be at an all-time high on Arthur Ashe on Friday night as Zverev attempts to get back into the final round in New York, the same spot he found himself in 2020. And, of course for Djokovic he will be playing for history.