Italian competitor Jannik Sinner and Spanish athlete Carlos Alcaraz have dominated, securing the last seven major championship titles.
The top two ranked players globally are poised to clash for another prestigious Grand Slam championship this Sunday afternoon in Flushing Meadows.
Sinner secured his position in the US Open final with a decisive 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Canadian player Félix Auger-Aliassime, who had been causing upsets in the tournament. Sinner is now in contention to become the first US Open men’s champion in the modern era to successfully defend his title, a feat last achieved by Swiss player Roger Federer in 2008.
This places Sinner in esteemed company, as he has now reached the final stage of the last five Grand Slam tournaments. Much like Federer and Spanish player Rafael Nadal exchanging major championship titles earlier in the 21st century, Sinner and Alcaraz have developed an intense rivalry on the sport’s most prominent stages.
Sunday’s match will mark their third consecutive encounter in a major championship final. Sinner conceded a two-set lead to Alcaraz at this year’s French Open, but he later avenged that loss at Wimbledon in July. Nevertheless, Alcaraz holds a 9-5 advantage over Sinner in their head-to-head matches, including a 4-1 record in finals.
One of Alcaraz’s victories against Sinner occurred in the 2022 US Open quarterfinals, a match lasting over five hours that Sinner views as the starting point of their rivalry.
“We are evolved competitors now,” Sinner stated in his post-match interview following his victory over Auger-Aliassime on Friday. “Our confidence levels are different, too. So, we anticipate what is forthcoming.
“We’ve competed extensively this season, providing ample familiarity with each other. We shall observe who prepares most effectively.”
Jannik Sinner requires medical attention, needing four sets to overcome Félix Auger-Aliassime
Sinner has joined a distinguished group of four men in the Open era to reach all four major finals within the same season. Rod Laver of Australia, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, and Federer are the exclusive others who share this historic achievement.
However, Sinner’s inclusion in this group was not easily earned on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Auger-Aliassime entered the match having previously defeated three seeded players en route to his second US Open semifinal appearance, his first since 2021. As the No. 25 seed in this year’s tournament, Auger-Aliassime challenged Sinner with all his capabilities, even winning 16 consecutive service points at one point.
After a commanding first set — during which Sinner recorded 4 aces, 10 winning shots, and only 4 unforced errors — the 24-year-old phenomenon faced a potent serve from the 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime. In fact, Auger-Aliassime secured 94% of points on his first serve and 100% of points on his second serve in the second set. It was also during this set that he capitalized on the second of two triple break-point opportunities against Sinner.
After Auger-Aliassime leveled the match at one set each, Sinner requested a medical timeout. He gestured towards his stomach while speaking with the chair umpire and briefly went to the locker room following a swift assessment by a trainer. The issue did not cost Sinner the match, and he described it as “nothing serious” in his post-match interview. However, his serve speed noticeably decreased early in the third set.
Eventually, Sinner regained his form, broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve, and reasserted control over the match.
The fourth set was particularly hard-fought. Sinner won 40 points, with Auger-Aliassime closely trailing with 34. They exchanged blows during a game lasting over 10 minutes that featured four deuces. Sinner successfully defended against multiple break points and then broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve in the subsequent game.
While Sinner only landed his first serve 53% of the time on Friday, he only conceded one break point and overcame the challenges presented by a persistent Auger-Aliassime.
Carlos Alcaraz triumphs over Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2
The distinction between Djokovic, aged 38, and Alcaraz, aged 22, lies in the young sensation’s ability to secure victories even when not performing at his peak. Alcaraz did not display his sharpest form during Friday’s semifinal. He seemed to be searching for the optimal strategy, attempting to disrupt Djokovic with drop shots rather than dominating with his serve and forehand.
This allowed Djokovic to remain competitive despite Alcaraz possessing a clear advantage in both speed and athleticism. Although Djokovic struggled to keep pace moving laterally, his returns were exceptionally precise. The 24-time Grand Slam champion secured numerous points with shots that landed just inside the lines, appearing guided with laser-like accuracy.
A more focused Alcaraz could have likely dispatched Djokovic earlier. Djokovic was compelled to exert maximum effort to keep up. After losing the second set following a 3-0 lead, he appeared to be depleted. Djokovic requested medical attention to address his neck before the third set but may have simply needed a break to postpone the inevitable.
Djokovic had limited resources remaining in the third set, his movements appearing slower and his feet heavier. His innate skill allowed him to win a game, but losing that second set made it evident that he would not overcome Alcaraz.
Here’s a recap of how Friday’s men’s semifinal matches unfolded in Yahoo Sports’ live coverage:
