Can Sinner and Alcaraz Deliver a Historic US Open Final?

New York, Sep 7 (NationPress) Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champions of men’s tennis, are set to clash once more in the US Open final, vying for both the men’s singles title and the coveted world No. 1 ranking.

Sinner has dominated the ATP rankings for 65 weeks since debuting at No. 1 in June. Meanwhile, Alcaraz aims to reclaim his US Open title and secure the top ranking by finishing first.

This championship matchup will mark the third time this season that Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other in a major final—a historic achievement in the Open Era—and will be their 15th overall encounter, a notable feat considering Sinner is just 24 and Alcaraz only 22.

Both players have claimed victory in the last seven Grand Slam tournaments, achieving a remarkable calendar-year shutout. Sinner kicked off the major season with a win at the Australian Open, while Alcaraz dramatically captured the Roland Garros title, saving three championship points against Sinner. Sinner then retaliated with a win at Wimbledon, marking his second Slam of 2025.

Sinner is in pursuit of his fifth Grand Slam title, while Alcaraz aims for his sixth. Notably, no other player has secured a major title since Novak Djokovic's victory here in 2023.

Sinner has maintained the ATP No. 1 spot since his debut last June, currently holding the position for 65 weeks. Among the 29 players who have reached No. 1 since 1973, only four others have spent at least 52 weeks in their inaugural reign: Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, Lleyton Hewitt, and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz is looking to return to the top ranking, which he last held in September 2023. The Spaniard made headlines as the youngest world No. 1 at 19 when he defeated Casper Ruud in the 2022 final. He went on to secure year-end No. 1 honors and has cumulatively spent 36 weeks at the top.

As they head into this year's US Open final, the ATP Tour's Live Rankings show Alcaraz leading Sinner by 60 points, 10,840 to 10,780. However, that lead is inconsequential if Sinner secures the 700 points available for winning the trophy.

In terms of their head-to-head record, Alcaraz holds a 9-5 advantage over Sinner, with their New York duel marking their fifth meeting of 2025. All encounters have been finals, with Alcaraz winning in Rome, at Roland Garros (after coming back from two sets down and saving three championship points), and in Cincinnati (where Sinner withdrew due to illness), while Sinner triumphed at Wimbledon.

Both players have exhibited exceptional form throughout the tournament at Flushing Meadows. Top seed Sinner, currently on a 27-match winning streak at hard-court majors, has dropped only two sets in his six matches.

Second seed Alcaraz has not lost a set and was particularly impressive in defeating record 24-time major champion Djokovic in the semifinals. The Spaniard has the opportunity to become the first man in the Open Era to win the US Open without dropping a single set.

Only five players in the Open Era have won a major tournament without losing a set: Ken Rosewall (1971 Australian Open), Ilie Nastase (1973 Roland Garros), Bjorn Borg (1976 Wimbledon, 2x Roland Garros), Roger Federer (2007 Australian Open, 2017 Wimbledon), and Rafael Nadal (4x Roland Garros).

The epic showdown between top-seeded Sinner and second-seeded Alcaraz is slated to commence at 11:30 PM IST (2 PM ET/ 8 PM CEST) on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world's largest tennis-only venue.