US Open 2025: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to make history with third straight Grand Slam final meeting - 'Great for the sport'
By Tom Masters
Updated 06/09/2025 at 12:12 GMT+1
React to this story
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner hailed the rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz as the pair prepare to lock horns in a historic third consecutive Grand Slam final in 2025. Sinner beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in four sets to advance to his fifth straight major final. With the pair renewing their rivalry in the final, it will be an eighth consecutive Grand Slam won by either Sinner or Alcaraz.
'Great for the sport having rivalries' - Sinner on facing Alcaraz in US Open final
Video credit: SNTV
Jannik Sinner hailed his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz as "great for the sport" as the pair are set to make history by meeting in three major finals in the same season.
World No. 1 Sinner himself reaches his fifth straight final and becomes just the fourth man, and the youngest, in the Open era to make all four Grand Slam finals in a season after Rod Laver, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Sinner’s four-set semi-final win over Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime takes him onto a sensational 27-match winning streak on hard courts in Grand Slams, last losing to Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open.
With Alcaraz also winning, beating Djokovic in straight sets, the Sinner v Alcaraz rivalry has already reached new heights – as the pair will become the first to meet in three major finals in the same season.
Sinner got out of the blocks quickly against Auger-Aliassime and the 25th seed had no answer in the first set, which Sinner took 6-1.
The Italian was rocked by an injury scare in the second set, however, and Auger-Aliassime took it 6-3.
Sinner took a medical timeout in between the second and third sets and quickly settled back into a rhythm, winning the third and fourth sets 6-3 6-4 to seal yet another meeting with Alcaraz.
The Italian played down any fears his injury was anything sinister, while he stressed the importance in sport of having proper rivalries.
"I just felt a small twitching when I was serving in the second set," he said. "After the treatment I was feeling much, much better and at some point I did not feel anything anymore. I was serving back to normal pace, so it was all good, nothing to worry about.
"Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again. We have faced each other quite a lot lately, so things are getting a little bit different.
"When we step on court, we are aware of maybe more things because we try to prepare the match tactically in different ways.
"Sometimes it is nice not to play against him but it is nice, like I always said, it is great for the sport having rivalries, having hopefully great matches in front of us.
- Nadal on Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry 'Alcaraz has more magic' but both 'have room to improve'
- Sabalenka 'super emotional' after downing Jessica Pegula
"We’ll see but I am someone who loves these challenges, I love to put myself in these positions."
Sinner now bids to level the Grand Slam scores with Alcaraz, with the Spaniard having won five and Sinner four.
The Italian’s only loss in major tennis this year came against Alcaraz at Roland-Garros, and in reaching yet another final, he is now 26-1 in Grand Slams in 2025.
"It’s amazing, I think five straight Grand Slam finals, it’s something great, the consistency and putting myself there, in the later stages of the biggest tournaments we have is amazing," added Sinner.
"At the same time, I know it is in the back of my head what I am doing, but whatever is done is done, I am here, I have a very important day Sunday and then we see."
Cruise to final 'means a lot' to Alcaraz
In setting up a crunch clash with Sinner, with the winner being crowned world No. 1, Alcaraz has been perfect – not dropping a single set on his way to the final.
That is something he is particularly pleased with ahead of Sunday’s showdown with rival Sinner, as well as his serving.
"For me, it is great, it is something I am working on and that is the consistency, not having ups and downs in the match, I just wanted to keep the level really high during the match," Alcaraz said after beating Djokovic.
"This is probably the best level I have [with serving] so far in a tennis tournament, so I will try to keep it like that.
"It's a great feeling, once again to be in the final of the US Open, it feels amazing. It means a lot to me. I'd say it wasn't the best level, I served really well today, I think it was really important."
Watch and stream top tennis action live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement