Defending champion Jannik Sinner secured a hard-fought victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semi-finals on Friday. The win sets up a blockbuster final against Carlos Alcaraz, renewing one of the most compelling rivalries in modern tennis. This clash comes just hours after Alcaraz delivered a stunning performance to defeat 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on the same court.
The Italian world number one was not at his machine-like best, facing stiff resistance from the 25th seed after a dominant first set. Auger-Aliassime settled his nerves to level the match, leading to a tense battle in the third set where the momentum shifted decisively back to Sinner. The victory marks a historic achievement, making Sinner only the fourth man in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a single season, joining the legendary company of Rod Laver, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
Sinner acknowledged the challenge posed by his opponent, noting Auger-Aliassime’s significant improvement since their last meeting. “He’s a completely different player. He was serving much better, hitting every shot much better, so it was a tough match,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. He also expressed concern after Auger-Aliassime appeared to suffer an injury late in the match, wishing the Canadian well and praising him as an amazing player and person.
The stage is now set for a third consecutive major final between Sinner and Alcaraz, promising a thrilling conclusion to the final Grand Slam of the season. Sinner expressed his delight at the achievement, stating, “The Grand Slams are the most important tournaments we have and finding myself again in another final… with an amazing crowd… It doesn’t get any better.” The championship match will be a highly anticipated showdown between the sport’s two brightest young stars.
