U.S. Open: Carlos Alcaraz has potential to be one of greatest of all time
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Jannik Sinner in the men’s finals match at the U.S. Open on Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Just short of perfection.
That is the only way to describe what Carlos Alcaraz achieved at the U.S. Open the past two weeks. Since showing up at the USTA Center, the man with the buzz cut has cut down his opposition with a buzzsaw-like precision.
On Sunday, the 22-year-old Spaniard completed one of the most impressive runs in U.S. Open history with a dominating performance over his greatest rival. In front of a sellout crowd that included President Donald Trump, Alcaraz completely outplayed defending champion Jannik Sinner, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, to clinch his second U.S Open title.
It was the type of run that makes one wonder if we are witnessing the early days of a career that will end up rivaling Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Right now, he has the potential to pass them all, having become the second-youngest player in history to win six Grand Slam titles. He would have to average two Grand Slams a year to pass them by the time he is 32, which sounds like a stretch until you consider that he has demonstrated an ability to win on any surface. He finishes this season having become the fourth man in history to have won multiple titles on clay, hardcourt and grass.
In the past two years, Alcaraz and Sinner have stood head-and-shoulders above the rest of the men’s draw. One of the two men has won the past eight Grand Slam titles.
Sunday’s match marked the first time in history that the same two men have competed in three straight finals in a calendar year in the Open Era. Yet with the win, Alcaraz moves ahead to become the man to beat. He replaces Sinner as the No. 1 player in the world, ending the Italian’s 65-week reign at the top of the rankings.
Alcaraz holds a 10-5 record over the Italian, winning seven of their last eight meetings. That includes winning two of their three Grand Slam meetings this year. After beating Sinner in a five-set, 5-hour, 29-minute match at the French Open, Alcaraz dropped the final three sets of their match at Wimbledon to lose the four-setter.
Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, said Sunday that he and Alcaraz studied both Grand Slam meetings as they prepared for the U.S. Open.
“We try to see the little things that we can improve to play in the forward matches against Jannik,” Ferrero said. “I think it was very important, because we maybe practiced for 15 days, very focused on the details that we have to improve to play against Jannik.
“I think we prepared the match very good, watching some matches and see the specific details we have to play. Carlos did 100%. It’s easy to say and very difficult to do it. The performance today was perfect.”
Well, near perfect. Alcaraz did lose a set for the first time in the tournament. He quickly rebounded and continued to play a complete all-around game with almost no weaknesses.
He kept Sinner off balance almost the entire match, serving masterfully, striking his killer forehand with precision and changing the speed and trajectory of his shots.
“I think every player has their style,” Alcaraz said. “My style, it’s about that variety I have in a match. I feel I can do everything on the court, to be honest. Slices, drop shots, I really just trust in my physical condition I can reach every ball.”
Sinner, by contrast, struggled with his serve. On Sunday, he got his first serve in only 48% of the time, his lowest of the tournament. Sinner had dropped a total of one service game in his previous three matches, but Alcaraz broke right away Sunday and five times in all.
“He has improved,” Sinner said after the match. “You know, I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving. I give him a lot of credit because he handled the situation better than I did.”
Alcaraz’s near-perfect performance stood in stark contrast with almost everything else that transpired at the Open on Sunday.
Trump’s presence led to increased security, with Secret Service agents setting up an extra line of airport-like security barriers right outside of Arthur Ashe. That led to huge queues to enter the stadium, pushing back the start of the match by 44 minutes. Thousands of fans could be seen waiting to take their seats after the second set.
Those who finally made it in someday may be able to say they saw one of the greatest tennis players in history.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
