For the third Grand Slam in a row, the final was between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The two have also faced each other in the finals of the last five marquee tournaments and have split the last eight Grand Slams. It\u2019s a great response to those who feared that tennis would decline after the retirement of the Big Three. But as soon as Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal stepped away, they were replaced by two younger players who created a similarly fierce rivalry.<\/p>\n
What all four share is having to deal with Novak Djokovic<\/a>. However, the Serbian has struggled over the past year to challenge Jannik and Carlos, despite still being clearly the best player among everyone else in the world. And he hasn\u2019t been able to prevent \u201cSincaraz\u201d finals at the biggest events. The question is: will anyone be able to? And when? Djokovic himself recently said tennis needs a \u201cthird wheel,\u201d a role he played against Roger and Rafa. But what if no third contender emerges, and it\u2019s just Sinner and Alcaraz? Would that be good for tennis?<\/p>\n As things stand, there\u2019s no doubt that Sinner\u2013Alcaraz is what everyone wants – from fans to broadcasters to almost anyone invested in the sport. Their French Open final was one of the best matches of this century, and their battle for the top spot in the ATP rankings has been compelling.<\/p>\n That match in Paris was the peak of their rivalry, but since then they haven\u2019t been able to replicate it. The Wimbledon final ended in four sets but wasn\u2019t close, with Sinner clearly the better player. The same happened at the US Open<\/a>, where Alcaraz won in four sets despite dominating from start to finish. And in Cincinnati there was barely a final at all, as Sinner wasn\u2019t feeling well and retired after just five games.<\/p>\nThe Rivalry Fans Want<\/h2>\n