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| Jannik Sinner joined an elite club by making all four Grand Slam finals this year. — AFP |
Jannik Sinner Sets Up Blockbuster US Open Final Against Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner joined an elite
club by making all four Grand Slam finals this year. — AFP Reigning champion
Jannik Sinner expects another "special" occasion when he plays Carlos
Alcaraz for the men's US Open title after the Italian reached his fifth
successive Grand Slam final on...
Reigning US Open champion Jannik
Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in a highly anticipated final on
Sunday, a clash the Italian star has already described as another “special”
chapter in their growing rivalry.
Sinner booked his spot in the title
match after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in
Friday’s semifinal. The victory not only puts him one step away from a fifth
career Grand Slam title but also cements his place in history—joining the elite
company of Rod Laver, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic as the only men
to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a single season.
“Five straight Grand Slam finals—it’s something incredible,” said the 24-year-old Italian. “The consistency and putting myself there in the later stages of the biggest tournaments, it’s amazing. I never imagined this when I first turned pro, and now I’m here.”
Rivalry Renewed
Sunday’s final will mark the third
consecutive Grand Slam final between Sinner and Alcaraz, who at just 22 has
already become one of his fiercest rivals. Sinner captured titles at the Australian
Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, but it was Alcaraz who edged
him out in a thrilling five-set duel at the French Open.
“On court, we like to see each other,
because it means we’re both doing well in the tournament,” Sinner said. “Sunday
will be a very special day and an amazing final again. I feel like our rivalry
really started here in New York.”
That rivalry indeed took root at the 2022 US Open quarterfinals, when Alcaraz triumphed in an unforgettable five-hour, 15-minute battle that ended just before 3 a.m. The Spaniard went on to win his maiden Grand Slam at that tournament.
What’s at Stake
Sinner enters the final riding a streak
of 27 consecutive Grand Slam match wins on hard courts, a run that
underpins his dominance on this surface. He now has the chance to become the first
man to defend the US Open crown since Federer in 2008.
His world No. 1 ranking is also on the
line—another element that raises the stakes of Sunday’s showdown.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz will be chasing his own piece of history. The young Spaniard has already shown he can rise to the occasion against Sinner, and their head-to-head record on the biggest stages makes this final one of the most eagerly awaited in recent memory.
Auger-Aliassime’s
Brave Run Ends
For Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime,
the semifinal was another step forward despite ending in defeat. The
23-year-old was chasing his first Grand Slam final, having last reached the
semifinals in New York in 2021.
“I don’t have regrets,” Auger-Aliassime reflected after the match. “I played my way, I played my game. You live and die with your choices, and today it wasn’t enough.”
A Rivalry Defining a
Generation
As Sinner and Alcaraz prepare to meet
once again under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tennis world is
bracing for another epic battle. Their rivalry has already delivered classics,
and Sunday promises to add a new chapter—one that could define not just this
season, but an entire era of men’s tennis.
For Sinner, it’s about defending his crown
and chasing a fifth major. For Alcaraz, it’s a chance to reclaim the US Open
stage where his Grand Slam journey truly began.
Either way, fans are set for another
unforgettable night in New York.