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Alcaraz deals with a Djoker, now to exorcise a Sinner
Howard French, AP • September 6th, 2025 9:41 pm
Carlos Alcaraz will be facing a familiar opponent when he plays in the US Open final | Photo: AP
Carlos Alcaraz was about to start a series of TV interviews to discuss the way he used his youth, athleticism and creativity to beat the much more accomplished, but also much older, Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals.
First, though, Alcaraz asked everyone to hold on for a moment. He pulled his cell phone out of a pocket so he could check the score of Jannik Sinner's semi-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime. It was still only the first set of that match, but you've got to keep tabs on your biggest rival, right?
A few hours later, Sinner would finish off his 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Auger-Aliassime, establishing the Flushing Meadows final that somehow seemed inevitable, even if unprecedented: world No.1 Sinner and No.2 Alcaraz will meet on Sunday to decide the US Open champion, marking the first time the same two men have played each other in three consecutive grand slam finals in one season.
Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime shake hands at the net after their four-set battle | Photo: AP
"These two players are the best in the world right now," said Djokovic, a 24-time major champion.
No matter Sunday's result, the duo will have split the past eight major trophies and taken 10 of the past 13. Their career totals: Alcaraz owns five slam titles, Sinner four.
The top spot in the rankings will be on the line on Sunday, too.
Alcaraz defeated Sinner at the French Open in June. Sinner defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon in July.
Sinner is trying to become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer won the hard-court tournament five years in a row from 2004-08. Sinner also has made it to five straight grand slam finals, a stretch that started at the US Open 12 months ago.
After his 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win over Djokovic on Friday (local time), Alcaraz hasn't dropped a set as he pursues his sixth major title and second at Flushing Meadows.
Novak Djokovic congratulates Carlos Alcaraz on his victory in their US Open semi-final | Photo: AP
Go back to April and Alcaraz is 44-2, making it to the finals at each of his past eight tour-level events.
"It's something that I'm working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year, in general just not having ups-and-downs in (a) match," Alcaraz said.
"Probably, I'm just getting mature, just getting to know myself much better, what I need on, off the court."
Since the start of 2024, Sinner is 1-6 against Alcaraz - and 109-4 against anyone else.
"It's great for the sport having rivalries, having hopefully great matches in front of us," Sinner said. "I'm someone who loves these challenges, and I love to put myself in these positions and to see how it goes."
"It's a very special day," Sinner said about Sunday's matchup. "It's a very amazing final again."
Alcaraz had lost his two most recent matches against Djokovic - in the gold-medal final at the Paris Olympics last year, and in the Australian Open quarter-finals this January.
"It's not easy playing against him, to be honest," Alcaraz said. "I'm thinking about the legend, what he has achieved in his career. It's difficult not to think about it."
The veteran Serb put up a great fight, but by the end Djokovic said he was "gassed out". The 38-year-old reached the semi-finals at all four slams this season, but exited in that round each time, three via losses to 22-year-old Alcaraz or 24-year-old Sinner.
"It's frustrating on the court when you are not able to keep up with that level physically, but at the same time, it's something also expected, I guess," Djokovic said. "It comes with time and with age."
His bid to become the first player in the sport's history to get slam No.25 was blocked again, and he thinks part of the issue is trying to overcome much younger men in best-of-five set matches.
"I still want to play ... (a) full grand slam season next year," Djokovic said. "They (slams) are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have. But I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three."
