“The season I’m going through, is very positive, and finals are special days,” Jannik Sinner said after being the first Italian man to qualify for the US Open finals! From creating history by being in the top spot to winning five titles, including a grand slam in Australia this year, Sinner is enjoying his success to the fullest. But his on-court rivals, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, are losing their positions in the ATP rankings and points amid the upheaval concerning the tennis world!
Jannik Sinner started the season on a positive note, winning titles in Miami, Rotterdam, and Melbourne, after which, either a quarterfinal or a semifinal barrier halted his progress. In Paris, he was ousted in the semifinals against Alcaraz but perhaps had his luck favor him as he became the first Italian to become the World No. 1. He dethroned Novak Djokovic, who was enjoying his 428th week at the top. Failing to earn a title on the Tour this season, Djokovic couldn’t climb back up and a Wimbledon final-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz added salt to his wounds.
Alcaraz, who fumbled the start of this year, suddenly jumped back to full form in the French Open, winning consecutive Grand Slam titles in Paris and England. Moreover, both Alcaraz and Djokovic dueled in the Olympics, where Djokovic fulfilled his lifelong dream to earn a gold medal, while Sinner chose not to make his debut at the event. Since then, the scenario had changed for Sinner, who won in Cincinnati and is now in New York, preparing to tackle Taylor Fritz in the final and has already earned a valuable 10,480 ranking point in total.
However, Djokovic, who started the season at No. 1, and was eliminated in the third round of the US Open, dropped from No. 2 to 4 and now has 5,560 points. While Alcaraz is No. 3 with 6690 points. Should Jannik Sinner win the title, he will amass 11,180 points, further cementing his position at the top! Alcaraz previously admitted how his exhaustion from playing multiple matches got the better of him in New York.
For Djokovic, it was the physical strain of playing in the Summer Games that sucked all the energy out of him. But it seems like Sinner’s withdrawal from the Games worked out for the better. The Australian champion also opened up on his thoughts after the semifinal clash!
Jannik Sinner opens up on the “tough” match against his friend
The World No. 1, Jannik Sinner finished at 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 against the Brit, Jack Draper, in the semifinals. Although a wrist injury temporarily concerned his fans, he got out of it pretty quickly and extended his head-to-head count to 1-1 against Draper. Talking about his opponent after the match, he said, “Jack and I know each other very well. We are great friends off the court. It was a very physical match. He’s so tough to beat so I’m excited to be in the final.”
Furthermore, the 23-year-old player said, “In the final, it will be a very tough challenge. I’m happy to be in that position because if you are in the final on a Sunday, it means you are doing an amazing job.” If he clinches his maiden US Open title, Sinner will be far ahead in the ATP ranking game. Will they be able to regroup and mount a charge against Sinner’s dominance? Only time will tell!
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