US Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz Relishing Prospect Of Another Major Final With Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz is relishing the incredible possibility of doing battle with Jannik Sinner in another grand slam final at this year's US Open. 

Alcaraz kick-starts his quest for a maiden title at Flushing Meadows on Monday against Reilly Opelka, while Sinner faces Vit Kopriva 24 hours later. 

The world number one is the defending champion in New York City, having defeated Taylor Fritz in the showpiece match in 2024, and he is out for more glory this time around. 

But Sinner's blossoming rivalry with Alcaraz has taken the world by storm. Should either player win the US Open, they will have split the last eight majors between them. 

They would become just the second pair to achieve that feat in the men's game in the Open Era, after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who did so between 2006 and 2007. 

Alcaraz has five grand slam titles to Sinner's four, but the latter is 2-1 up on his rival in 2025 after emerging victorious in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals. 

The world's top two players have done battle in the last two major finals, with Alcaraz saving three match points to edge Sinner in a five-set thriller at Roland-Garros, before the Italian got his revenge in four sets at the All England Club. 

They could now become just the second pair in the Open Era to face off in three consecutive men's singles grand slam finals, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic sharing the court in four straight finals between Wimbledon in 2011 and the French Open in 2012.

"It would be incredible," acknowledged Alcaraz. "He has won the last three grand slams on hard courts.

"The level of tennis he's producing on these surfaces is stunning, and in a way, I take it as the benchmark so that I'm ready if I have to face him.

"Hopefully we’ll meet in the final. It would be a great result to play well here, and if I beat him, even better. He has a big target on his back right now."

In addition to their grand slam showdowns, Sinner and Alcaraz have also faced off in two ATP Masters 1000 finals this year, with both going in the Spaniard's favour. 

Alcaraz won the Italian Open in straight sets in May, before Sinner retired due to illness just 23 minutes into their Cincinnati Open final last week. 

But the pair's dominance spans across every surface and every top-level event. 

Indeed, they are just the fifth pair since the Tour's inception to meet in ATP-level finals on all three surfaces in a single season, after Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg (1990), Federer and Nadal (2006), Nadal and Djokovic (2011) and Federer and Djokovic (2015).

Over the last two years, meanwhile, there have been 16 ATP-level events to feature both Sinner and Alcaraz, and they have won 15 of those tournaments between them (eight for Sinner, seven for Alcaraz). 

However, Alcaraz acknowledged the difficulty of reaching the final at the US Open, saying: "I think right now there are a lot of players who have a very good level. 

"Obviously, Jannik has proven his superiority. I've been beaten a lot and I've perhaps had more difficult matches than him.

"But ultimately, the results show that we’ve both been up there. In the end, the one who deserves it will get it. The one who works hard to get there will do it.

"There are people with a very high level who maybe now are going through a difficult time, but I’m sure they’ll get back to their best.

"Personally, I try to improve every day, watch a lot of matches, both of Jannik and others, to see what I can do better and give them as many problems as I can.

"Tennis evolves, both in terms of the courts and the balls, and we players cannot stand still. We have to keep growing."