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World No.1 Sinner fought off a daring and pesky Felix Auger-Aliassime in the US Open semifinal on Friday across four sets of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to seal his spot in the final.
Jannik Sinner at the US Open (AP)
Here we go, yet again. It’s Alcaraz v Sinner for the third time in a Grand Slam final this year.
World No.1 Jannik Sinner fought off a daring and pesky Felix Auger-Aliassime in the US Open semifinal on Friday across four sets of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to seal his spot in the final against his rival.
Sinner started off hot in classic Terminator-esque fashion, wiping the court clean with a hot 6-1 first set, setting up the stage for a seemingly quick contest.
But the enigmatic Auger-Aliassime just kicked into overdrive from then onwards.
A series of outrageous rallies — punctuated by drop shots, minute line calls, and some fiery play — followed as the Canadian chipped away at the Italian to steal the second set 6-3.
Sinner regained his confidence to overturn his fortunes yet again, in a calm fashion, to serve Auger-Aliassime a shot of his own medicine, stealing the third set 6-3. But, this merely lit the fire under the Canadian.
Auger-Aliassime’s persistence finally started to chip away at a steely Sinner’s defence, as a heated fourth set kicked off with each game going down to the wire.
Sinner was pushed to his limits multiple times during his serve, as the wily Canadian sought a break point with some persistence.
The Italian’s championship calibre then overtook, as Sinner broke Auger-Aliassime in the fifth game to nudge ahead with the 3-2 lead: one that he wouldn’t lose there onwards.
The Canadian would keep Sinner on his toes, but would fail to overcome the deficit, falling to the mighty World No.1 6-4 in a tightly-contested final set.
Alcaraz vs. Sinner: Tennis’s Defining Rivalry
The rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has become the centerpiece of modern men’s tennis. They have met 14 times, with Alcaraz holding a 9–5 advantage, though their matches are usually razor-thin battles.
At the 2025 French Open final, Alcaraz produced one of the greatest escapes in recent memory. Down a break in the fourth set and facing three championship points, he recovered to win in a deciding super tie-break and claim his second Roland-Garros crown.
Sinner quickly responded at Wimbledon, sweeping past the Spaniard in straight sets to win his first grass-court Slam and his fourth major title since 2024.
Together, the pair have claimed the last seven Grand Slams, a domination reminiscent of Federer and Nadal. Alcaraz, with five majors, is missing only the Australian Open to complete his career Grand Slam, while Sinner needs the French Open.
They also became the first duo since Federer and Nadal in 2008 to meet in both the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same year.
Their most recent clash at the Cincinnati Open ended early when Sinner retired hurt, but when both are healthy, every encounter feels like a battle.
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
September 06, 2025, 08:28 IST
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