New York (AFP) – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be aiming to write another chapter of their blockbuster rivalry when the US Open men’s singles gets under way on Sunday. As the era of men’s tennis’s “Big Three” recedes into the rearview mirror, Sinner and Alcaraz have accelerated onto centre-stage to fill the void created by the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the decline of Novak Djokovic.
In their five meetings in Grand Slams so far, Sinner and Alcaraz have produced encounters that have been every bit as memorable as anything Federer, Nadal and Djokovic served up. This season, Alcaraz drew first blood with a spellbinding 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) victory over Sinner to claim the French Open title in June. Sinner then hit back to claim the Wimbledon final last month, defeating Alcaraz in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
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“I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did,” Sinner said after his Wimbledon win. “That’s something we will work on because he’s going to come for us again.” The two men also have history in New York, meeting in an epic, 5hr 15min 2022 quarter-final showdown finally won by eventual champion Alcaraz at around 2:50am local time.
“Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high,” Alcaraz has said of his rivalry with Sinner. “I don’t see any player playing against each other having the level that we are playing when we face each other.”
– ‘A gift to our sport’ –
Australian legend Rod Laver meanwhile says simply that Sinner and Alcaraz are a godsend to tennis. “Their growing rivalry is a gift to our sport, and it’s matched by the genuine respect they show for each other,” Laver wrote on social media after Sinner’s Wimbledon win. “Win or lose, they compete with joy, class, and sportsmanship. That’s what makes champions.”
Alcaraz and Sinner’s battle for supremacy this season will carry an extra edge at the US Open, with the world number one ranking also at stake. Sinner and Alcaraz met in Monday’s Cincinnati Open final, although fans were denied another classic after an ailing Sinner retired in the first set while trailing 5-0. Alcaraz’s win in Cincinnati means that he has closed to within 2,000 points of Sinner in the ATP rankings.
To ensure he remains world number one, Sinner will likely need to win in New York while Alcaraz can reclaim the top spot if he advances one round further than Sinner. Sinner, though, is unlikely to surrender his ranking position without a fight. Prior to his retirement in Monday’s Cincinnati final, Sinner had racked up an impressive 26 consecutive wins on hard courts. Assuming the Italian’s fitness holds up, few would bet against the world number one launching the start of a new lengthy winning run in New York over the coming fortnight.
Sinner opens his campaign in the first round against Vit Kopriva, with the earliest major obstacle a potential quarter-final with Britain’s Jack Draper. In the other side of the draw, meanwhile, Alcaraz must navigate a path to the final which could include the 38-year-old Djokovic. Djokovic heads into New York knowing that the window for winning a record 25th Grand Slam singles title is rapidly closing.
The Serb has not played since his semi-final exit at Wimbledon last month. Djokovic has not reached a Grand Slam singles final since his defeat to Alcaraz at Wimbledon last year. His last US Open victory came at the 2023 final, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev. Yet Djokovic maintains that he can still be relevant in the era of Sinner and Alcaraz, warning after Wimbledon that he continues to raise his game at Grand Slams.
“I think, regardless of the fact that I haven’t won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams,” Djokovic said. “Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most.”
© 2024 AFP
