Jannik Sinner writes another piece of his fantastic story at the top of world tenniseven if the final step is missing: by beating Draper in three hours and three minutes of a tiring semi-final, the world number 1 reaches the top for the first time the US Open final, which is his second time in a Slam, after the one he won at the beginning of a 2024 to remember in Australia. Against his friend Jack Draper, Sinner had to work harder than expected, and not only because of the very high humidity. The final score says it all, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and the length of a match in which the Italian made many mistakes, but Draper held his own against his shots. A war of nerves and ultimately of physique, because the talented Englishman collapsed in the third set due to exhaustion in a match whose level he has not yet reached. Sinner, on the other hand, chased away the ghosts of the past weeks, not with the best match of this Flushing Meadows but with a test of mental endurance. Now, for the final on Sunday (at 2 pm in New York, 8 pm in Italy) he awaits the other semifinal between the Americans Tiafoe and Fritz. Jannik Sinner assured that he did not have “high expectations”, on the eve of the Flushing Meadows tournament, after the storm of the doping case. And on his return to the court at the US Open after the news of his positive test last April and the subsequent “acquittal” for involuntary contamination, all eyes were on his reaction. Playing happily, the tennis player from Sesto Val Pusteria had said, is the fundamental recipe for being able to express the best of himself, and despite the victory in the Cincinnati tournament with which he had presented himself at the US Open, his feelings were not good. The semifinal against Draper was not happy either, which turned out to be a marathon with very high temperatures and humidity, but with the final smile that was true, because the world number 1 conquers his first final in the American Slam. The US Open had been up to this point a crescendo of performances and scores, for Sinner, until the convincing victory over Medvedev. A path inversely proportional to that of the other candidates for the final victory: first Alcaraz, then Djokovic fell, paving the way for Sinner.
Up to the semifinal with his friend Draper, a talented left-hander with whom he also played doubles a few weeks ago in Montreal. Under a blanket of humidity that will make the two opponents sweat (a slight illness for Draper in the second set, who vomits on the court), the first set starts off in the name of balance and it takes 58′ to break it. The British player takes advantage of a moment of form and service to keep at bay the superior class of Sinner’s shots. At 3-3, after 24′, the first break is taken by the Italian, with a backhand passing shot that gives him the chance to break Draper’s serve, immediately exploited. But Sinner’s errors in the service game create the counterbreak and with Draper gaining confidence and Sinner losing his measure, it gets to 5-5: the eleventh game is a succession of aces and double faults by Draper, on the fourth break point Sinner takes advantage, moves forward and closes the first set at 7-5. The second set is even more tense (almost an hour and a half of play and effort): all the games end in deuce, Draper is good at canceling many break points from Sinner, his mental and physical endurance is higher than anyone expected, except Sinner, who knows him well. Many mutual errors; at 5-5, the Italian shivers as he falls and hurts his left wrist, a medical time out is necessary. Draper instead takes it out on the court, wet from his sweat-soaked shoes. It goes to a tie break, Sinner starts strong, takes off on 4-0 and closes the second set at 7-3. The British shows signs of physical weakness, Sinner raises the pace: he runs to 3-2 more quickly, without going to deuce every time, and the decisive break arrives after almost three hours. Backhand passing shot for 40-30 and then the winning exchange for 4-2. The 5-2 comes with a love game, then another break and the final 6-2, with a backhand return and takes him to the final. To play for another Slam chance.
Sinner: “Very physical match, I’ll make it possible in the final”
“Draper and I know each other very well and we are very good friends, it was an intense match, very physical”: this is Jannik Sinner’s comment after the victory over Jack Draper that gave him the final of the US Open. “I tried to stay there mentally”, added the world number one, “it was a special occasion against a difficult opponent to beat and I’m happy to play the final. I always give my best in every tournament”, underlined the Italian, “but here in New York I felt good and I played better and better, match after match. Now I will try to do what I can in the final, on Sunday”. The opponent will be Taylor Fritz, Sunday at 8pm Italian time. The American won the US derby against Frances Tiafoe, the 26-year-old from San Diego won in 5 sets, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Fritz has met the Italian number 1 in the world only twice and always in Indian Wells: the score is tied, 1-1. In 2021, in their first meeting, Fritz won the round of 16 in two sets and demonstrated great superiority. In 2023, in the quarterfinals, Sinner won in three sets.