Sinner sets winner-takes-all Alcaraz US Open final
Jannik Sinner has set a blockbuster winner-takes-all US Open final with Carlos Alcaraz after a gritty 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime Friday night at Flushing Meadows, where he captured his 300th career match win.
Both World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings – which Sinner has held for 65 consecutive weeks – and the last title of the 2025 Grand Slam season will be on the line when the world’s Top 2 players meet Sunday from 2 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CEST. It will be the first time in the Open Era that two players have contested three major finals in the same season.
In a match even closer than the scoreboard suggested, Sinner had to dig deeper than at any stage in the tournament, fighting off nine of 10 break points against the 25-year-old Canadian, who refused to be bullied from the backcourt, matching the Italian’s power with a defiant and aggressive gameplan, that included 31 net approaches.
Auger-Aliassime levelled the semi-final after dropping just one point on serve during an inspired second set, after which Sinner, who had earlier shown signs of abdominal discomfort, left Arthur Ashe Stadium for treatment. Despite serving at reduced speed in the third set, Sinner played some of his cleanest tennis of the match, making just four unforced errors to his opponent’s 10.
The free-swinging Auger-Aliassme imposed himself from the baseline early in the fourth set and also found success at net, earning five break points across the Italian’s first two service games after a series of entertaining rallies. But after Sinner survived an 11-minute game to hold for 2-all, the 24-year-old claimed the decisive break in the next game and rode his big-match temperament to the finish line.
Sunday’s final between Sinner and Alcaraz will be a déjà vu moment for the 22-year-old Spaniard, who faced similar stakes against Casper Ruud in the 2022 US Open decider, which brought Alcaraz his first major title and marked his debut as World No. 1.
[ATP APP]The final also ensures a Grand Slam shutout for the second consecutive season, with an eighth consecutive major title guaranteed to finish in the hands of either the Italian or Spaniard.
Sinner set a fifth consecutive final meeting with Alcaraz in events in which they have both been in the draw. Alcaraz has won three of those finals (Rome, Roland Garros, Cincinnati, when Sinner retired ill); Sinner triumphed in the Wimbledon final, denying the 22-year-old a third consecutive title on the hallowed lawns.
Alcaraz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry 9-5 and has won their past three meetings on hard courts.
The final will also have big implications in the battle to claim ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Should Alcaraz win the final and pad his current 1890-point lead in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin by a further 700 points, Sinner will face an uphill battle to finish back-to-back years at No. 1.
After reaching the US Open semi-finals for the second time, Auger-Aliassime has surged 14 places to No. 13 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, his highest mark since August 2023. He is 34-18 on the season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index
Did You Know?
- Sinner and Alcaraz will meet for the third straight Grand Slam final, with the Italian winning Wimbledon and Alcaraz taking the Roland Garros title after saving three championship points.
- Sinner is the fourth man in the Open Era to reach finals of all four Grand Slams in a season after Laver (1969), Federer (2006-07, 2009) and Djokovic (2015, 2021, 2023).
- Sinner aims to be the first reigning men’s champion to defend the US Open title since Federer won five consecutive titles from 2004-08.
- Sinner is the fourth man to reach five consecutive Grand Slam finals in the Open Era after Federer (10 in 2005-07, 8 in 2008-10), Djokovic (6 in 2015-16, 5 in 2020-21) and Nadal (5 in 2011-12).
- He bids to become the second man in history to win both the Australian Open and US Open in back-to-back years (Federer 2006-07).
- At 24 years and 22 days on Sunday, Sinner bids to become the youngest man in the Open Era to play in finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one season, bettering Federer (25Y 33D) in 2006.
- He is on a 27-match winning streak on hard courts at Grand Slam level, with his last loss to Zverev in the 2023 US Open 4R.
- He is 26-1 in Grand Slams this year, with his lone loss to Alcaraz in Roland Garros final after holding 3 championship points.