On a tranquil evening in Manhattan last week, Carlos Alcaraz was making his exit from an Italian restaurant with his sizeable support team when he unexpectedly found himself staring at a familiar face. There was Jannik Sinner, quietly enjoying his own dinner. This was the second occasion during the US Open Alcaraz and Sinner just so happened to be dining at the same restaurant at the same time. Neither player could hide their amusement as they greeted each other warmly.
Considering the frequency of their meetings it would not be unreasonable if they were starting to get sick of each other: “On court we like to see each other, because it means that considering our ranking, we are doing well in the tournament,” said Sinner.” Off court we bump into each other at times. I don’t know if we are happy or not.”
There is at least one more meeting to come in New York. The first US Open final of their rivalry also represents a historic moment. It is the first time in the Open era that two men have faced each other in three grand slam finals in one season, and in consecutive major tournaments. It also marks their fifth consecutive final, their most recent meeting coming in Cincinnati last month, when Sinner retired trailing 5-0 due to illness. As if the stakes are not already high enough, Sinner’s ranking is also on the line. If Alcaraz wins, he will replace the Italian as the world No 1.
Not only are they so much better than the rest, but the gap is widening. While the Alcaraz-Sinner era had long been under way, with the two splitting all four major titles between them in 2024, until June they had not faced each other in a grand slam final.
After they faced each other in the final of the Italian Open, Sinner’s comeback tournament from his three-month doping ban, a rematch at the French Open seemed likely. At Wimbledon, it was difficult to envision anything other than another final between them.
Carlos Alcaraz, who is yet to drop a set at the US Open, celebrates during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
By the US Open, though, while they had six matches to win and the difficulty of navigating a grand slam draw should never be underestimated, this final seemed inevitable barring injury. It has made for an odd tournament over the past few weeks, with so much anticipation of this match from the first round.
A month after Alcaraz demonstrated his peerless ability to produce his best in the most difficult moments by plotting one of the greatest comebacks of all time at Roland Garros, Sinner’s revenge win at Wimbledon broke a run of five victories for Alcaraz and showed Sinner a blueprint for success.
The Italian suffocated Alcaraz with his destructive, relentless ball-striking off both wings. He also served well and kept Alcaraz’s offensive return position at bay by injecting more pace into his second serve. The Spaniard admitted he had been outplayed. He did not have enough time on the ball to disrupt Sinner’s game.
It is for this reason that, although grass courts are supposed to be Alcaraz’s turf in this rivalry and Sinner has begun an era of dominance on the surface, Alcaraz may come to prefer facing Sinner on a medium-hard court. In addition to having slightly more time on the ball, this surface aids his kick-serve and the heavy topspin on his forehand, which are essential to his aim of constantly varying the trajectory of the ball to disrupt Sinner.
Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final this year, the Spaniard’s only loss since April. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA
At Wimbledon, under such suffocating pressure on the baseline, Alcaraz’s serve let him down. In New York, his improved serve has been one of the key reasons why he has been able to roll through the field, reaching a grand slam final without dropping a set for the first time. It is obvious he will need to serve extremely well against the most effective returner in the game. Every match is an opportunity to adjust and it remains to be seen what Alcaraz has learned from his most recent defeat.
Jannick Sinner is one of the most effective returners in the game. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
Three years on from Alcaraz’s 2:50am, five-set win over Sinner after saving a match point, an instant classic that positioned this rivalry as the future of the sport, the pair will close that circle in New York.
As they walk down the tunnel and on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it is worth sparing a thought for others. After years of being punching bags for Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer it was believed the demise of the big three would lead to a transitional era where, at least for a short time, many more would have the chance to win the biggest titles.
Instead, two new legends have emerged and though they are adversaries on the court they have also conspired to ensure nobody else has a chance.
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