Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner has become the first finalist of the 2024 US Open, the fourth and final ‘Grand Slam’ of the season, after beating British player Jack Draper in the semi-finals early this morning (7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2), and will fight for the title against the winner of the American ‘semi’ between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
At the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, the world number one proved unstoppable in a duel in which, despite everything, he invested three hours and three minutes to defeat a Draper who only physically collapsed in the last set. With this, the transalpine player guarantees his sixth final of the season, the second in a ‘major’ after the one he won in Australia.
The first set was equal and it was not until the seventh game that Sinner managed to break his opponent’s serve, who is ranked 25th in the ATP rankings and who responded with a counter-break. However, the Italian kept his cool to break again and subsequently secure victory in the set.
Draper held on physically and mentally to continue the battle in the marathon second set, which lasted 89 minutes. This was despite the fact that he looked exhausted at times, such as when he vomited on the court several times before Sinner hurt his left wrist in a fall. Both received treatment, with the Briton leading 5-4, and were able to continue the set, which was decided in the tie-break after neither of them managed to get the longed-for break.
In the tie-break, Sinner gave his opponent no chance, and then the Briton fell apart. He fended off the Italian’s break chance in the second game, but was powerless as the world number one took the final four games to secure his place in the first US Open final. Now, he hopes to reign in the two hard-court Grand Slams of the circuit in 2024.
Sinner is aiming to become just the fourth man to win the Australian Open and US Open titles in the same season since both events switched to hard courts in 1988. Previously, only Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015 and 2023), Roger Federer (2004, 2006 and 2007) and Mats Wilander (1988) have done so.
Sinner will go for the title on Sunday against the winner of the fratricidal duel between Taylor Fritz, world number 12, and Frances Tiafoe, world number 20, which will guarantee the presence of an American finalist in the men’s draw of the American ‘major’ for the first time since 2006, when Andy Roddick fell to Swiss Roger Federer.