The US Open final brings Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz together for a third straight Grand Slam meeting, the head-to-head locked at one win apiece. Alcaraz’s victory at the French Open and Sinner’s success at Wimbledon set the stage for a decisive clash that will shape the remainder of the season.

Sinner arrives in New York carrying the reputation of a near-unstoppable hard court player. The last man to beat him on a hard court was Carlos Alcaraz in China last October. Since then Sinner has extended his authority on the surface, striking the ball with exceptional power and reducing unforced errors to a minimum. That combination has made him extraordinarily difficult to dislodge.

At this US Open, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime tested Sinner and at times forced him out of his comfort zone. In each case Sinner responded, producing the decisive blows when they mattered most. If he reproduces that level on final day, he looks capable of overwhelming Alcaraz.

Alcaraz remains the only player in the field with a sustained chance of stopping Sinner. His run to the French Open title included a dramatic final in which he saved match points and found a way to win under pressure. That resilience is central to any plan to upset Sinner.

To have a realistic chance, Alcaraz must stay close to Sinner from the outset and, if he falls behind, try to extend the contest. Long, gruelling matches have often favoured Alcaraz when the pair have met.

If Sinner wins in New York he will remain world No 1; if Alcaraz prevails he will return to the top of the rankings. The New York crowd may bolster Alcaraz, but the match appears likely to be decided by Sinner’s relentless defence of his title. Expect Sinner to take the trophy in four sets and to move closer to ending 2025 with three Grand Slams out of four, confirming his growing separation from the rest of the field.

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a measured appraisal of Novak Djokovic following a straight-sets victory that sent him into the 2025 US Open final.

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 in the semi-finals to reach his second championship match at Flushing Meadows after 2022, when he won his first major. After two competitive sets in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz pulled away in the third as his 38-year-old Serbian rival faded physically.

The result was Alcaraz’s first hard-court victory over Djokovic in four meetings, leaving their head-to-head at 4-5 in favour of the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

In an interview with ESPN Tenis, Alcaraz praised Djokovic’s achievements and character, and called him a “wonderful person.”

“Novak as a player? Well, I think everyone knows about Novak as a player. What he’s done on the court… what he does on the court is practically unrepeatable,” said Alcaraz (translated from Spanish).

“The legend that Novak is right now, everything he’s done, all the records he’s broken… I think everyone sees it and it’s worthy of admiration.

“But above all, what’s worthy of admiration is how he is off the court, I think that behind-the-scenes side that people don’t know. Djokovic is a wonderful person, always there to help the younger ones and everyone.

“His team around him are also incredible, and that’s what’s really admirable. Everything he is, and equally humble or such a beautiful person… That makes him great, right?”

Alcaraz expressed his respect on social media as well: “Big respect for @djokernole! It was a privilege to share a court with you on another big stage! I could not be happier! We’re in the US Open final! VAMOOOOOS.”

Asked about Djokovic reaching the semi-finals at all four majors this season, Alcaraz remarked on his longevity and level: “It’s impressive,” Alcaraz said. “It’s impressive what he has done this year in the Slams, reaching the semi-final in every Slam, challenging the next gen, challenging us the way he’s doing.

“It’s impressive. I talking always like, he looks like 25 years old physically. So that’s… to maintain that level at 38. It’s impressive.”

Alcaraz will meet world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the US Open final.

Two players arrive in the same Grand Slam final for a third consecutive major, and their recent run together has altered the landscape. They have contested five straight events in which both entered and both reached the championship match: Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Cincinnati and the Open. That sequence includes three Slams and three surfaces.

Jannik Sinner tried to deflect a personal edge question with a practical answer. “On court we like seeing each, you know, because it means that, considering our ranking, that we are doing well in the tournament.”

At the Open the dynamics have been notable. Carlos Alcaraz reached this final without dropping a set for the first time in a Slam run, and on Friday he ran Novak Djokovic ragged over three mostly uncompetitive sets. “Probably I’m just getting mature,” Alcaraz said.

Sinner’s path was more variable. He dropped two-set contests to Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger Aliassime, yet he dismantled Alexei Popyrin, Alexander Bublik and Lorenzo Musetti. He required more than three hours to subdue Auger Aliassime on Friday night and said he felt a “twitch” in his abs that slowed his serve and forced him to get treatment off court. Sinner has been No. 1 for the last 65 weeks, is the defending champion, and has won the last three hard-court majors. He beat Alcaraz in their most recent completed match, the Wimbledon final, and owns a 20-8 record in finals and 17-6 in hard-court finals.

There are strong arguments for both men. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 9-5 and is 6-2 on hard courts, and he has won 45 of his last 47 matches while improving his serve over the summer. Sinner has a record of bringing Alcaraz to peak levels; in Beijing and Roland Garros their matches reached final-set tiebreakers. At Wimbledon the script changed, with Sinner taking the early initiative, hitting more winners and coming to the net far more often. Alcaraz admitted: “At some points I didn’t know what I had to do in the match because from the baseline I was feeling he was better than me, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” adding, “I think the big key was the second serve. He was returning really well the second serve. Thanks to that, he was in the position to attack the second ball every time.”

Alcaraz says he learns from these encounters, and the likely tactical themes for the final are clear: seize initiative early, approach the net more, vary with drop shots and target the second serve. Which approach will win out on Sunday remains the central question.