Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will convey a Broadway buzz to the US Open as tennis’s hottest rivalry takes centre stage on the season’s closing grand slam.
There isn’t any assure the world’s two top-ranked gamers will sq. off at Flushing Meadows however it’s no doubt the match-up everybody desires for the boys’s closing on September 10.
Although they’ve met simply 4 instances, the Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry has already reached a Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal-like frenzy, pushing ticket costs by way of the Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof.
In tennis, you pay your cash – $US652 ($A1020) for a final row higher bowl seat – and take your probabilities.
If the celebrities align, you get a Djokovic and Alcaraz closing – or you might discover you’ve simply paid $US25,000 ($A39,038) to observe Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur play for the title as they did in Toronto this month.
Federer and Nadal clashed 40 instances, lots of them epic encounters together with Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals, but it surely was a match-up denied in New York.
Not solely did the 2 greats by no means play for a US Open title their head-to-head conferences didn’t characteristic a single match on the Flushing Meadows onerous courts.
The prospect of a 3rd Alcaraz v Djokovic closing in two months has excited the tennis world and is greater than advertising hype.
“It’s remarkable what we’re watching, and certainly (Djokovic) and Alcaraz are the two guys coming in that you figure the odds are pretty good that one of those two is going to win it,” mentioned seven-times grand slam champion John McEnroe.
As a sporting spectacle, Alcaraz and Djokovic matches have delivered on each stage and could be worthy of the Big Apple highlight.
The two presently personal all 4 grand slams, with Djokovic holding the Australian and French Open crowns, and Alcaraz the Wimbledon and US Open titles.
Djokovic’s French Open win over the rattled Spaniard adopted by an absorbing three-set victory within the Cincinnati Open closing final Sunday signalled the Serb goes to must be dragged from his throne.
Alcaraz has proved he’s product of sturdy stuff, the world No.1 rebounding from his French Open disappointment in steely type to disclaim Djokovic a males’s record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown.
“All of the matches we played against each other went the distance,” mentioned Djokovic, following his current Cincinnati win.
“First match in Madrid last year, 7-6 in the third, 7-6 in the third today.
“Both grand slam matches, 4 and five-setters.
“It just keeps getting better for the fans.”
On reverse sides of the draw, all the weather for a possible basic are in place with the fearless 20-year-old Spaniard on a collision course to satisfy the remaining commonplace bearer of tennis’s ‘large three’.
The 36-year-old Serb, who gained his first ATP title when Alcaraz was three years previous, returns to Flushing Meadows for the primary time since 2021. He was unable to compete on the US Open final yr on account of being unvaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
While Alcaraz and Djokovic are the undisputed headliners there are contenders flying beneath the radar.
Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev is the obvious menace, the Russian producing a few of his finest work on the Flushing Meadows onerous courts and beating Djokovic to elevate the 2021 trophy.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
