Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, new chapter in rivalry plays out at a distance
There is still one more hurdle towards yet another head-to-head final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. As predicted, the two champions climbed all the way to the semifinals at the US Open, and to renew their rivalry on the court they will have to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic, respectively: it will not be easy, but both matches (as the previous records against the two opponents show) are within the reach of the current world numbers 1 and 2.
But it is precisely the world ranking that represents a challenge within the challenge, so much so that already the semifinals will represent, in itself, a new chapter in the rivalry between the blue and the Murcian: Sinner in fact has a chance to overturn the ATP ‘live’ ranking, which sees him at this point in the tournament in second place in the rankings, surpassed precisely by Alcaraz.
Undoubtedly, the Highlander will have to beat Auger-Aliassime if he is to retain, even after the last Grand Slam tournament of the season, the top position in the ATP rankings at the official update on Monday, Sept. 8. Failure to reach the final, for Sinner, would in fact mean automatic abdication after a year and three months at the absolute top.
With a success against the Canadian, it will be necessary instead to wait for the conclusion of the match between Alcaraz and the veteran Djokovic: in case of a victory for the Serb, Sinner will be sure to keep the first position in the ranking. Should it be Alcaraz, however, who qualifies in the final, everything will be back on the line at the US Open’s final act and Sinner will have to necessarily beat the Spaniard in order to maintain the top of the rankings.
What will begin late in the Italian evening on Friday, and then conclude late into the night, will thus be a long-distance challenge between the two young phenomena of world tennis: a rivalry capable of enthralling on a daily basis, even when Sinner and Alcaraz do not take the court against each other.
