NEW YORK – Carlos Alcaraz was about to launch a series of television interviews to discuss how he won the 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2, while much older, using young people, athleticism and creativity.
But first, Alkaraz asked everyone to hold for a while. He pulled his phone out of his pocket so he could check Jannik Sinner’s semi-final score against Felix Auger-Aliasime. It was still just the first set of that match, but you need to keep an eye on your biggest rival, right?
Hours later, the sinners will finish their 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Auger Aliasim, with one sinner and 2 Alkaraz coming into the first two seasons, with three seasons for the unprecedented sinner and No. 2 Alkaraz to meet on Sunday.
“These two players” and 24-time major champion Djokovic said “the best in the world right now.”
There is no doubt about that. They established the game’s elite men far apart.
Regardless of the results on Sunday, the duo split the past eight major trophies, winning 10 of the past 13. Their career total: Alcaraz owns five SLAM titles, the Sinner Four.
And the number one ranking will be held on Sunday, when President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend.
According to ESPN BET’s odds, Thinner opened as a favorite of -125 in the final, while Carlos Alcaraz was +100. Thinner will take part in the tournament as a +105 favorite, while Alcaraz is his second favorite with +180. Alcaraz attracted the most tickets (28.0%) in the future market, while Sinner took the most handle (42.7%) with BetMgm.
Alcaraz defeated the sinner at the French Open in June. The sinner defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon in July.
Thinner is about to become New York’s first repeat men’s champion since Roger Federer won the Hard Court tournament for the fifth consecutive year from 2004 to 2008.
Alcaraz pursues the sixth major title and hasn’t dropped the set in the second and second in Flushing Meadows.
Returning to April, Alcaraz reached the finals at 44-2 in each of his last eight tour-level events.
“That’s what I’m working on. It’s just matches, tournaments, years, and generally consistency. “Maybe I’m just just mature and I’m getting a lot better off from the court that I need.”
Since its inception in 2024, the sinners have been 1-6 against Alkaraz and 109-4 against anyone else.
“I played quite a lot this year,” Thinner said. “That’s why we know each other very well.”
Alkaraz lost his last two matches against Djokovic in the Australian Open Quarter Finals last year at the Parisio Games.
“To be honest, it’s not easy to play against him,” Alkaraz said. “I’m thinking about legends. What he accomplished in his career. It’s hard not to think about it.”
But in the end, Djokovic was later “gassed out” as he described it and appeared to have resigned to the end. The 38-year-old from Serbia reached the semi-finals in all four slams this season, but lost three times in that round each time to 22-year-old Alcaraz, 22-year-old, or sinner.
“When you can’t physically catch up to that level, it’s frustrating in court, but at the same time, that’s something you can expect,” Djokovic said. “It comes with time and age.”
His bid to become the first player in the sport’s history to win Slam No. 25 was blocked once again. He believes that part of the problem is trying to overcome much younger men in the final five sets of matches.
“I still want to play… (a) a full grand slam season next year,” Djokovic said. “Let’s see if that happens, but… Slams are slams. They are completely different from other tournaments. They are the pillars of our sport and the most important tournaments we have.
He led Alcaraz 3-0 in the second set but couldn’t maintain that level.
“Today, I don’t think it was at the best level of a tournament for me,” Alcaraz said. That 30 forced error was the same as Djokovic’s total, but “I kept it cool from the start.”
He wore a pink sleeveless shirt and almost completely wearing his hair head less than two weeks after he showed up with a buzz cut that he said he needed when his brother tried to play a barber but ruined it.
Asked if he would stick to his new look if he won on Sunday, Alkaraz replied with a smile: “You’ll see… Surprised, Surprised.”
Doug Greenberg of Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.
