Jannik Sinner is set to face Carlos Alcaraz in an unprecedented third consecutive Grand Slam final, following a hard-fought victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime at the US Open.
After Alcaraz dispatched Novak Djokovic with ease, Sinner was put through his paces by Canadian Auger-Aliassime, who was participating in his second Grand Slam semi-final. However, the world number one emerged victorious with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 win.
With this triumph, Sinner joins an elite group as only the eighth man ever to reach all four slam finals in a single season and the youngest in the open era. His impressive run of 27 consecutive victories on hard-court at the majors equals Djokovic’s record, with only Federer now ahead of him.
Following Alcaraz’s win in Paris and Sinner’s victory at Wimbledon, the stakes for Sunday’s final couldn’t be higher. The winner will not only claim supremacy but will also leave New York as the world number one.
Sinner, who stands to win his fifth overall Slam and fourth in the last five Majors, said: “Amazing season, obviously. 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.
“It was a very tough match today but obviously I’m very happy. Let’s see what coming. Sunday is going to be a very special occasion. We know each other very well.”
Auger-Aliassime, who can now focus on preparations for his forthcoming nuptials, had triumphed in his initial two encounters against Sinner but, when the duo clashed in Cincinnati last month, he secured merely two games.
At first, it seemed this would follow a similar pattern, with the top seed displaying his finest form from the outset and dropping just one game in the opening set.
However, Auger-Aliassime possesses exceptional talent and, whilst he may not have yet fulfilled the tremendous promise he showed as a teenager, at 25, he still has time on his side.
One aspect that will worry Sinner is his serving struggles throughout this tournament, and Auger-Aliassime, whose sole previous Grand Slam semi-final appearance came here four years ago, started to truly capitalise on the Italian’s second serve.
Whilst the first semi-final was the glamorous attraction, this proved to be a far superior quality encounter, and Auger-Aliassime struck a brilliant purple patch in the second set that even Sinner couldn’t match.
The defending champion extracted himself from trouble in the second game, battling back from 0-40, but Auger-Aliassime was striking powerfully and deeply whilst defending magnificently. Among those soaking up the drama was women’s semi-finalist Naomi Osaka, captured on camera in the stands clutching a Honey Deuce cocktail, and when Sinner found himself trailing 0-40 once more at 3-4, Auger-Aliassime pounced on his chance before wrapping up the set with a pair of aces.
Sinner’s woes extended beyond the scoreline, with the 24-year-old departing the court for a medical timeout, seemingly troubled by an abdominal issue.
The burning question remained whether Auger-Aliassime could sustain his blistering form, and the response came halfway through the third set when mistakes began infiltrating his play and Sinner capitalised with a break for a 4-2 advantage.
The gruelling nature of the battle appeared to be taking its toll, with Auger-Aliassime looking laboured in his movement as Sinner closed out the set.
The Canadian seized the chance to leave the court for a comfort break and emerged rejuvenated.
Had Sinner’s desperate backhand at break point in the fourth game of the fourth set not clipped the edge of the line – leaving his rival utterly stunned – the match might have unfolded very differently, but the top seed weathered the storm, secured a break in the following game and sealed another triumph.
Speaking about the fitness scare, Sinner explained: “I just felt a small twitching after a serve when I served there in the second set on 4-3. After the treatment, was feeling much, much better.
“At some point I didn’t feel anything anymore. I was serving back to normal pace, so it was all good. Nothing to worry about.”
