And in Flushing Meadows, they hope to materialize it in the most beautiful way, by a Grand Slam crown, in a table where no one has anything to really impress them. But before dreaming of the coronation, this duel of young wolves will have a major stake: a first semi-final in Grand Slam. Already accustomed to the second week – Sinner is in his 5th consecutive, the 3rd for Alcaraz -, they have always stumbled on the quarters, which is obviously nothing infamous given their age. The Italian has even become the youngest player to reach this stage in all the Majors for a certain… Novak Djokovic (at 20, in 2008).
U.S. Open
Wednesday’s program: Alcaraz and Swiatek at night, Pliskova and Tiafoe as a starter
YESTERDAY AT 9:54 PM
I will push him to be better, like Rafa, Djokovic and Federer did between them
For Alcaraz, it will also be about taking his revenge from Wimbledon. On the London lawn, he lost in four sets (6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3) in the round of 16, before suffering another setback in the final of the Umag clay court tournament a few weeks later. “I lost twice against him in the last two months, so I will have to be ready for this battle“, he thus confided after his qualification against Marin Cilic.
If his two setbacks could weigh a little psychologically, the history between the two men is still too insignificant: Sinner leads 2-1 since Alcaraz won against him at Bercy at the end of last season. In less than a year, however, this will already be their 4th duel, and there should be many more.
“I will do everything to be a better player. Trying to beat Jannik, it can help me achieve that. And I think it’s the same for him. I will also push him to improve, like Rafa (Nadal), Djokovic and Federer did when they faced each other when they were younger. It will be a great rivalry. And we’re good friends off the court“, explained the Murcian to our colleagues from Tennis TV.
Alcaraz and Cilic electrified NY until 2:30 a.m.: the highlights of a spectacular game
At Wimbledon, “Carlitos” was a little scattered
By his ranking – he is seeded number 3 of this US Open -, his more impressive career so far than that of Sinner (in particular his victories over Jenson Brooksby and Marin Cilic) and his flamboyant game so apt to ignite the Arthur Court -Ashe, Alcaraz may even be a slight favorite of this quarter. After all, the American cement had revealed it last year and it continued to shine there in the spring by winning the Masters 1000 in Miami. His Italian rival has not yet won a tournament of this magnitude, even if he has 6 titles against 5 for the Spaniard.
Still, the prospect of being able to become world number 1 in the event of a New York triumph (or even a final if he does not face Casper Ruud there) could constitute additional pressure for “Carlitos”. However, to best express his tennis, as complete and exciting as it is, he needs to have clear ideas, and perhaps more than other players. Sinner is well aware of this and explains it in his own way by talking about his own game in a most appropriate culinary metaphor.
“My little salad is getting a little fuller. I know I can add something more to it. But if you have more ingredients, you also have more options. So it can be good, but also a little bit hard because sometimes you have to choose between all these ingredients. And there can be a bit of chaos in your mind when it comes to picking a move, and that’s happened to me sometimes“, analyzed the Transalpin in an interview with ATP.
Passing with his back to the net: Sinner’s exceptional point that opened the way to the quarters
Similar states of mind: between patience and ambition
At Wimbledon, in their only previous Grand Slam duel, Alcaraz sometimes seemed to have almost too many weapons at his disposal and struggled to choose which one to use. And on grass – a surface that does not forgive procrastination – Sinner’s simple, clear and clean diagrams had proved much more effective. Will it be the same during this night session which promises to be electric on the Arthur-Ashe court? Not necessarily.
Everything will undoubtedly depend on the ability of the Spanish prodigy not to scatter too much. And the person concerned learns quickly from his mistakes. Unblinkingly accepting his defeat at the All England Club, he was aware that he was in a learning phase, hoping to play preparation tournaments on grass next year to progress. From this point of view, Sinner resembles him elsewhere. A great follower of questioning, he did not hesitate to part with his mentor Riccardo Piatti in February to hire an “unknown”, Simone Vagnozzi, then Darren Cahill recently.
Sinner still damn jostled by Ivashka: The highlights of their game in 5 sets
The Italian had to wait until July (and Wimbledon, therefore) to find the quarter-finals of a tournament, but he never panicked. “I am aware of what I already have in my game, so I try to remain confident about that, but also humble: in the end, I won almost nothing or at least no matches very important. But it’s all part of a learning process. I don’t want to rush, but I think I can be proud of what I do, so I hope to continue on this path“, he still estimated.
Work hard and believe in yourself: a leitmotif shared by the two young wolves. If the two men build their careers with a long-term vision, there will only be one in the semi-finals of this US Open. And whatever they say, they are equally in a hurry to leave their mark on world tennis. This US Open 2022 certainly represents a superb opportunity.
U.S. Open
Nadal eliminated: what it changes in the race for world number 1
YESTERDAY AT 08:27
U.S. Open
A funny fight, a sacred Alcaraz
YESTERDAY AT 06:24