US Open 2025: Historic! Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner clash in third straight grand slam final of the year

Carlos Alcaraz completed his post-match TV interviews after defeating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday.Before beginning the interviews, Alcaraz paused to check his phone for updates on Jannik Sinner's semifinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, which was still in its first set.Sinner later secured his place in the final with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Auger-Aliassime. This set up a historic US Open final between No. 1 Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz, marking the first time two players will face each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals in one season.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"These two players are the best in the world right now," said Djokovic, a 24-time major champion.
The duo has dominated men's tennis, splitting the past eight major trophies and claiming 10 of the past 13. Alcaraz currently holds five Slam titles, while Sinner has four.The upcoming final will also determine the No. 1 ranking, with President Donald Trump expected to attend.The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has intensified throughout the year, with Alcaraz winning at the French Open in June and Sinner prevailing at Wimbledon in July.Sinner aims to become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer's five consecutive victories from 2004 to 2008. He has reached five straight Grand Slam finals since his US Open appearance last year.Alcaraz has maintained a perfect record without dropping a set as he pursues his sixth major title and second at Flushing Meadows.Since April, Alcaraz has dominated with a 44-2 record, reaching finals in his last eight tour-level events."It's something that I'm working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year, in general. Just not having up-and-downs in (a) match. Probably, I'm just getting mature, just getting to know myself much better, what I need on, off the court," the Spaniard said.Sinner's record against Alcaraz in 2024 stands at 1-6, while maintaining an impressive 109-4 record against all other opponents."We have played quite a lot this year. So we know each other very well," Sinner said.Alcaraz had previously lost to Djokovic in their last two encounters - the Paris Olympics gold-medal final and the Australian Open quarterfinals. "It's not easy playing against him, to be honest. I'm thinking about the legend; what he has achieved in his career. It's difficult not to think about it," Alcaraz added.Djokovic, at 38, showed signs of fatigue by the match's end. He reached semifinals in all four Slams this season but was eliminated each time, with three losses to either Alcaraz or Sinner."It's frustrating on the court when you are not able to keep up with that level physically, but at the same time, it's something also expected, I guess. It comes with time and with age," the veteran admitted."I still want to play ... (a) full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not, but ... Slams are Slams. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have. But I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three."Despite leading 3-0 in the second set, Djokovic couldn't maintain his advantage against Alcaraz."Today, I'd say, it wasn't the best level of the tournament for me, but I just kept a cool level (from) the beginning until the last point," he explained.Alcaraz appeared in a pink sleeveless shirt, sporting regrown hair after a recent buzz cut necessitated by his brother's failed attempt at being a barber.When asked about maintaining his new look if victorious on Sunday, Alcaraz responded: "Even better. You will see. ... Surprise, surprise."