Courtship of rivals

NEW YORK (AFP) — Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be aiming to write another chapter of their blockbuster rivalry when the US Open men’s singles gets under way on Sunday.

As the era of men’s tennis’s “Big Three” recedes into the rearview mirror, Sinner and Alcaraz have accelerated onto centerstage to fill the void created by the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the decline of Novak Djokovic.

In their five meetings in Grand Slams so far, Sinner and Alcaraz have produced encounters that have been every bit as memorable as anything Federer, Nadal and Djokovic served up.

This season, Alcaraz drew first blood with a spellbinding 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) victory over Sinner to claim the French Open title in June.

Sinner then hit back to claim the Wimbledon final last month, defeating Alcaraz in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did,” Sinner said after his Wimbledon win.

“That’s something we will work on because he’s going to come for us again.”

The two men also have history in New York, meeting in an epic, five hour, 15-minute 2022 quarterfinal showdown finally won by eventual champion Alcaraz at around 2:50 a.m. local time.

“Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high,” Alcaraz has said of his rivalry with Sinner.

“I don’t see any player playing against each other having the level that we are playing when we face each other.”

Australian legend Rod Laver, meanwhile, simply said that Sinner and Alcaraz are a godsend to tennis.

“Their growing rivalry is a gift to our sport, and it’s matched by the genuine respect they show for each other,” Laver wrote on social media after Sinner’s Wimbledon win.

“Win or lose, they compete with joy, class, and sportsmanship. That’s what makes champions.”

Alcaraz and Sinner’s battle for supremacy this season will carry an extra edge at the US Open, with the world number one ranking also at stake.

Sinner and Alcaraz met in Monday’s Cincinnati Open final, although fans were denied another classic after an ailing Sinner retired in the first set while trailing 5-0.

Alcaraz’s win in Cincinnati means that he has closed to within 2,000 points of Sinner in the ATP rankings. To ensure he remains world number one, Sinner will likely need to win in New York while Alcaraz can reclaim top spot if he advances one round further than Sinner.

Sinner, though, is unlikely to surrender his ranking position without a fight. Prior to his retirement in Monday’s Cincinnati final, Sinner had racked up an impressive 26 consecutive wins on hard courts.

Assuming the Italian’s fitness holds up, few would bet against the world No. 1 launching the start of a new lengthy winning run in New York over the coming fortnight.

Sinner opens his campaign in the first round against Vit Kopriva, with the earliest major obstacle a potential quarterfinal with Britain’s Jack Draper.