Defending title holder Jannik Sinner fought past 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in Friday's U.S. Open semi-final to arrange a blockbuster final against Carlos Alcaraz.
Just days after Alcaraz stunned the Arthur Ashe audience with a dominating victory over 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, Sinner – normally famed for his clinical accuracy – encountered a few glitches but in the end stood firm, arranging a third successive Grand Slam final against the Spaniard in what has turned into one of tennis's most absorbing rivalries.
With this gritty victory, Sinner becomes part of an exclusive club as just the fourth man in the Open Era—following Rod Laver, Roger Federer, and Djokovic—to reach all four Grand Slam finals in one year.
"Fantastic season. The Grand Slams are the biggest tournaments we play and to find myself again in another final, and the last one of the season as well, with a great crowd. it does not get any better," Sinner said following his victory.
"Felix and I played in the last event (in Cincinnati). He is a different player altogether. He was serving much better, hitting every single shot much better so it was a difficult match but I'm naturally very pleased.".
"I noticed he was hurt at some time so hopefully it's not something serious. I wish him everything good. He's such a great player and such a great person that it's always a pleasure to have some nice games with him."
Sinner had a moment of alarm in the fifth game of the match but easily recovered to hold serve, coasting through a commanding first set after Auger-Aliassime hit a backhand wide.
The Canadian, in his second U.S. Open semi-final, bounced back in the second set, breaking for a 5-3 lead and holding firm to level the match. The third set saw both players exchanging intense rallies, but momentum eventually swung back to Sinner.
Having taken a medical timeout for an unspecified reason, Sinner returned to his rhythm, taking the third set and benefiting from clutch serving to hold off a comeback from Auger-Aliassime in the fourth, assuring himself a spot in the final.
The victory paves the way for a highly anticipated final against second seed Alcaraz, who stunned Djokovic earlier to book his ticket to the final.
This will be the third straight Grand Slam final for the pair after their five-set thrillers in Paris and London—Alcaraz taking three match points off Sinner in the French Open before being outplayed by his opponent at Wimbledon in July.
Three years on from their own nail-biting five-set quarter-final duel in New York—won by Alcaraz en route to his inaugural U.S. Open championship—the adversaries will once again face each other on Sunday.
"I think our rivalry began here, playing a great match. We're two different players now, different confidence too, so let's see what is coming, we've played a lot of matches this year so we know each other very well," Sinner added.
"In any case it has been an incredible tournament an incredible feeling to play for you. I'm looking forward to doing it again."
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