Rivals admit that Alcaraz and Sinner are streets ahead

Partway through Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon fourth-round meeting with Lorenzo Sonego, one man in the press box turned to his companion and asked who the winner would face next. “Jannik Sinner,” the other replied confidently. Never mind that Sinner had yet to play his quarter-final with Grigor Dimitrov.

- FLO CLIFFORD

The result was taken as read. Death, taxes and Jannik Sinner winning, to paraphrase the saying. (Ironically, Dimitrov then came a set away from a huge upset before retiring injured).

But the point stands that Sinner, the world No 1, a four-time grand slam champion, and Carlos Alcaraz, world No 2 and five-time grand slam champion, are a cut above the rest of the field. After today’s clash in New York, they will have won the last eight majors between them and contested the three most recent finals among themselves. It is the first time in the Open era that the same two players will contest three of the four slam finals in a season.

This is the era of “Sincaraz”, as dominant and ruthless as the previous era of the “Big Three”. Their rivals and challengers ruefully admit the pair are streets ahead of everyone else. Stefanos Tsitsipas, part of the much-maligned 1990s generation of players who never quite reached the top, summed up why Alcaraz and Sinner are nigh on untouchable. “They are the ones shining,” he said, in his usual poetic style, in a press conference earlier this summer. play every single shot, and tennis has developed into this aggressive, physical sport that 10 years ago didn't exist as much, wasn't intensified [so much]."

So how do you go about beating them?

The man best placed to disrupt their duopoly remains, at the advanced age of 38, Novak Djokovic, still the third-best player in the world despite a host of physical issues. "I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I'd rise to the occasion," the Serb said before his semifinal with Alcaraz.