Jannik Sinner has become the first Italian man to reach the US Open final, defeating Britain’s Jack Draper 7-5, 7-6, 6-2. His victory marks the culmination of a remarkable fortnight for Italian tennis. Earlier in the tournament, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made history by becoming the first all-Italian pair to win a mixed doubles Grand Slam title.
Sinner’s triumph over Draper was not without drama. At 4-all in the second set, Sinner fell heavily to the court. However, he managed to return to his feet and respond with a stunning forehand winner. Although he called for a trainer to examine his left wrist, he chose to play on.
The 2024 US Open has been unlike any other for Sinner. News broke just hours after his Cincinnati Open victory that he had tested positive twice for the banned substance clostebol in March. Despite an independent tribunal clearing the 23-year-old of any wrongdoing, Sinner knew he would face backlash from critics, including some current and former players. “I was aware there would be some doubters,” he admitted.
Is six the magic number for Sinner in the US Open final?
The Italian star is aiming for his sixth title of 2024 in Sunday’s final, marking his sixth appearance at the US Open.
He faces American Taylor Fritz, which means he will likely contend with a partisan crowd.
“I mean, we’re in America, we’re in New York playing against an American, so it’s going to be, for sure, that the crowd is a little bit more on their side,” Sinner acknowledged. “But it’s normal. It’s like when I play in Italy. It’s a bit the same. I’m going to accept that. I have my team and my people who are close to me. In my mind, I know that there are many people watching from home from Italy, and I’ll just take some support from them.”
Sinner is bidding to become the fourth man to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year since 1988, when the Australian Open switched to hard courts. Mats Wilander, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer are the only others to have achieved this feat.
Both 2024 Australian Open champions, Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, enter the weekend with 13-match winning streaks at hard-court majors. Sinner boasts a 34-2 record overall on hard courts this year, while Fritz stands at 19-7. The final promises to be a clash of skill and resilience as Sinner aims to cement his place in Italian tennis history.
