Sinner wins a battle against Draper and signs his first US Open final | ATP Tour

US Open

Sinner wins a battle against Draper and signs his first US Open final

The Italian is looking for his second Grand Slam

September 06, 2024

Jannik Sinner is unstoppable. The Italian used all his tennis and his endurance on Friday to reach the final of the US Open for the first time, ending Jack Draper’s streak in a close physical battle on Arthur Ashe Stadium to win 7-5, 7-6(3) and 6-2 in three hours and three minutes of play.

In a gruelling clash, Sinner played with relentless intensity to break Draper, who struggled physically from the closing stages of the second set. The top seed fired 41 winners and survived a scare of his own in the second set, when he twisted his left wrist after using it to break his fall when he stumbled behind the baseline.

The 23-year-old showed little sign of discomfort after the scare, however, and went on to win to become the first Italian to reach the final in New York, after being held in the third set. Sinner will look to improve his perfect 5-0 record in tour-level title matches in 2024 when he faces Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.

“It was a very physical match, I tried to stay strong physically and I was able to do it. I’m very happy to be in the final,” said the Italian. “It’s going to be a big challenge for me, but if you’re playing on Sundays in tournaments it’s because you’re doing a good job,” he said.

So far, the PIF ATP Rankings No. 1 has been a standout performer at the mMajors this year, reaching at least the quarter-finals at all four majors. The 23-year-old claimed his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January and is only the fifth man this century to record 22 or more major wins in a season. Novak Djokovic (8), Roger Federer (6), Rafael Nadal (6) and Andy Murray (2) have all achieved the feat.

Sinner, meanwhile, is bidding 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. Novak Djokovic (2011, ’15, ’23) and Roger Federer (’04, ’06, ’07) have accomplished the feat three times and Mats Wilander (1988) once.

Did you know that…?
Having won the Australian Open, reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and now a finalist in New York, Sinner is only the 16th man in the Open Era to reach the quarter-finals of all Grand Slams in a single season and only the fourth active player to achieve the feat (Djokovic, Nadal, Wawrinka).