Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will meet for a third consecutive Grand Slam final after both cruised through their semifinal matches at the US Open on Friday, setting up a title decider that will also decide the world No. 1 ranking.
The pair's unprecedented trilogy of major finals — a feat never before achieved in the same season in the Open Era — will culminate on Sunday at Flushing Meadows, with Alcaraz holding a 9-5 head-to-head advantage and Sinner targeting his fifth Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz Dismantles Djokovic in Straight Sets
Second-seed Alcaraz wasted little energy in dispatching 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 in the first semifinal. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who is bidding for his sixth major title, was dominant from the outset, using his trademark blend of athleticism and creativity to neutralise the 38-year-old Serbian's experience.
Djokovic, who had suffered a shock first-round exit at the hands of Argentine Mariano Navone earlier in the tournament before being reinstated as a lucky loser, had no answer to Alcaraz's relentless baseline pressure. The match was decided in a tight second-set tiebreak, after which Djokovic's resistance crumbled.
"It's a great feeling, once again in the US Open final, it feels amazing," Alcaraz said. "It means a lot to me."
The victory extended Alcaraz's career-best Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches, a run that includes his French Open triumph over Sinner in June and his Australian Open title earlier this year. His path to the final has been aided by the absence of top seed Sinner from the same half of the draw, but Alcaraz has nonetheless looked imperious throughout, dropping only one set in six matches.
Sinner Becomes Youngest to Reach All Four Slam Finals
In the second semifinal, world No. 1 Sinner overcame a spirited challenge from Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to win 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 24-year-old Italian, who is targeting his fourth Grand Slam title in five majors, stormed through the opening set in clinical fashion before Auger-Aliassime fought back to level the match.
However, Sinner regrouped to take the third set and never looked back, converting his first match point to seal a place in Sunday's final. The victory made Sinner just the eighth man in history to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a single season, and the youngest to do so in the Open Era.
"Amazing season, obviously," Sinner said. "The Grand Slams are the most important tournaments and finding myself again in the final, with an amazing crowd, it does not get any better."
Sinner's hard-court winning streak at the Grand Slams now stands at 27 matches, equalalling Novak Djokovic's record with only Roger Federer's 40 from 2005-2008 ahead of him. The Italian also became the youngest man to reach all four major finals in a single season since the Open Era began in 1968.
A Trilogy Unlike Any Other
The US Open final will be the fourth meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz this season, following Alcaraz's victory at the French Open in June, Sinner's triumph at Wimbledon in July, and an inconclusive Cincinnati Open final in August where Alcaraz claimed the title after Sinner retired due to illness.
Their rivalry, which began with an epic five-set quarter-final at Flushing Meadows in 2022, has become the defining narrative of men's tennis. The two have dominated the sport to a degree not seen since the Federer-Nadal duopoly, and their third consecutive Grand Slam final represents a historic milestone.
"I feel our rivalry started here, playing an amazing match," Sinner said, referencing the 2022 US Open quarter-final that many consider the genesis of their era-defining contest. "We're two different players now, different confidence too, so let's see what's coming."
Alcaraz leads the overall head-to-head 9-5, and also holds a 7-4 advantage in Grand Slam meetings. But Sinner has won the last two of their three encounters this season, including the Wimbledon final, and will fancy his chances of claiming the US Open title he won 12 months ago.
No. 1 Ranking on the Line
The stakes extend beyond the trophy. The winner of Sunday's final will leave Flushing Meadows as the world No. 1, with Sinner currently holding the top spot by a narrow margin. Alcaraz, who briefly held the ranking earlier this year before Sinner reclaimed it, is desperate to finish the season at the summit.
"It is fitting for this unique trilogy of finals to culminate at the US Open," Sinner said, acknowledging the magnitude of the occasion. The final will be broadcast live from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, with the winner not only claiming a Grand Slam title but also establishing supremacy in what has become tennis's most compelling rivalry.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/us-open-djokovic-alcaraz-sinner-auger-aliassime-semifinals-men-e2476ffd6a5623479b080cc0f6a61866
- https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/32833/13425994/us-open-carlos-alcaraz-and-jannik-sinner-meet-for-historic-grand-slam-trilogy-in-mens-singles-final-at-flushing-meadows
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/ce8eglv5j83o
