The long-awaited next meeting of Alcaraz and Sinner at a grand slam comes in the French Open semi-finals and signals the start of a new era in men’s tennis
As the news of Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the French Open began to spread around Roland Garros, a clip of Carlos Alcaraz talking about his rival started to resurface on social media. But not that one – the other one. Last November, ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin, Alcaraz was asked if the Italian Jannik Sinner could be a contender at the grand slams in 2024. “I’ve no doubt about it,” Alcaraz replied, before the 21-year-old went a step further. “I think he’s going to reach world No 1 in 2024.”
Alcaraz’s prediction has already proved correct. With Djokovic forced to pull out of the French Open due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, Sinner was confirmed as the new men’s No 1 following his straight-sets win over Grigor Dimitrov. At 22, Sinner is the first Italian to reach No 1, his new ranking confirming what has been clear to everyone since he won the Australian Open in January, or even before. “Right now he’s the best player in the world,” Alcaraz said.
Given the Spaniard’s powers of prediction, perhaps he could have seen Friday’s match-up on the horizon, too. The French Open has its dream semi-final, the one tennis has been waiting for: Alcaraz vs Sinner, the two best players of their generation, facing each other at a grand slam and best-of-five sets for the first time since their US Open epic in 2022. “It’s the match everybody wants to watch,” said Alcaraz, after thrashing Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quarter-final.
It couldn’t have arrived at a better time, either. So much has changed since their unforgettable five-set, five-hour clash in New York two years ago. Alcaraz prevailed at 3am in the latest finish in US Open history, opening the door to his first grand slam title at 19 and becoming the youngest world No 1 in history. When a second grand-slam title followed at Wimbledon, with his titanic five-set win over Djokovic, the Spaniard had elevated himself to a different level from his peers.
