World number one Jannik Sinner will end his Grand Slam season as he started it: with a final. And he hopes to carry the mirror effect to the end by lifting the US Open trophy, as he did in Australia in January, after qualifying for the final stage on Friday 6 September against Britain’s Jack Draper.
To become the first Italian to reach the final at Flushing Meadows at age 23, Sinner dominated the 25.my world player in three sets, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2, at the end of a duel that lasted more than three hours.
“It was a very physical match, as you could see. I tried to hold on psychologically because he is very difficult to beat.”Sinner commented on his “good friend”before saying “Happy to be in the final”.
To win his second Grand Slam after Melbourne 2024, the Italian will have to beat an American player on Sunday: 12-year-old Taylor Fritz.my world, who will play his first Grand Slam final after eliminating his compatriot Frances Tiafoe (20my) 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, Friday.
Jannik Sinner is the favourite. “My season has been great so far and the last few days are always special. Every time we play on a Sunday in a tournament it means you are doing a really good job. So I will continue to give my best and we will see what I can do on Sunday.”declared the Italian at the end of his match, before knowing the name of his opponent.
Most Grand Slam matches won this year
Sinner is, to date, the player who has won the most matches on hard court this season (34 wins, two losses and four titles), ahead of Alexander Zverev (27 wins). He is also the player who has won the most Grand Slam matches this year with 22 victories, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz (19) who won two Majors in 2024 (Roland-Garros and Wimbledon).
After a complicated start to the tournament due to the revelation, a few days earlier, of two positive anti-doping tests for an anabolic steroid, tests carried out in March and from which he was acquitted, the Italian player has only gained momentum.
And although he did not play at his best against Draper, he was clearly superior at key moments, such as the second set tie-break, and took advantage of a physical collapse by his opponent.
In the first set, each player held his shot but only Draper (22) was a little less effective on the first service points which Sinner (23) took advantage of to break and go 4-3 up. The Italian lost the next game, allowing his opponent to break immediately. Sinner made the decisive break to take a 6-5 lead and this time held his service game to bag the first set.
Doll treated after a fall.
Despite many close matches, with each player saving break points, Sinner and Draper reached the tie-break in the second set where the Italian was clearly superior.
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However, an incident marked the set, when at 4-4, Sinner won an extremely spectacular point during which he fell before getting up and finishing with a fantastic forehand. But in the fall he hurt his left wrist. At the change of sides he called the physio and the match resumed.
Draper, who had vomited on the court earlier, also called the doctor and resumed play, but gradually the Briton lost his physical balance completely and ended up on his knees. Sinner, meanwhile, no longer seemed bothered by his left wrist.
“A dream come true” for Fritz
He’ll need all his resources on Sunday against Taylor Fritz, who becomes the first American to reach a men’s major final since Andy Roddick in 2009 at Wimbledon, the last American to also win a Grand Slam title, the US Open in 2003.
“That’s why I do this sport, it’s a dream come true”Fritz said on the court with tears in his eyes.
The 26-year-old managed to beat his old friend Tiafoe on Friday on the huge Arthur-Ashe court after a long-standing indecisive match, as the level of the two players was very close. Tiafoe first knew how to play the important points perfectly and take advantage of his rare break opportunities and lead 2 sets to 1.
“He dominated me from the back of the court, he took the ball very early, he changed the angles, he was really on top. I focused on my serve, I did everything I could to stay in the game.”explained Fritz. “In many ways I felt like I wasn’t doing anything wrong and that he was dominating me. I had to accept it, it helped me stay calm and make the right decisions afterwards.”
Fritz was patient, taking advantage of a missed drop shot from his opponent to bag the fourth set, before quickly pulling away at the start of the fifth set (4-0), never to be seen again.
