Arka reveals his tactical approach against Sinner, while Federer offers sincere advice to himself

Last season, 22-year-old Sinner reached the world number one position, becoming a historic figure in Italian tennis and winning two Grand Slam championships in a single year. Remarkably, he achieved a stunning singles record of 73 wins to 6 losses. He wrested the number one ranking from his old rival Alcaraz and has maintained it for more than 60 weeks. Yet, this may shift next Monday Beijing time. Indeed, for the first time in a year, Alcaraz has a chance to reclaim the throne and push Sinner down, and he already has a strategy prepared.

Currently pursuing his second Grand Slam title this season, Alcaraz has been unstoppable at the US Open. On Friday, he decisively defeated 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in straight sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium, demonstrating unwavering determination. The Spaniard has clearly stated his goal for this second peak showdown in New York. Meanwhile, Sinner also reached the final after beating Aliassime on Friday night. Just before the Italian finished his match, Alcaraz was asked about his game plan if he meets Sinner again.

The five-time Grand Slam champion openly shared his plan: “If I face Jannik again, I will learn from our previous matches. Whether it’s the last one or the three before, I’ll note what I did well or the mistakes he made to better prepare for the final. Let’s wait and see.”

At the post-match press conference, a reporter asked the 2022 US Open champion about his thoughts on continuing to compete on the tour into his thirties. The then 22-year-old Alcaraz revealed that he had received advice from former world number one and 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer.

According to Alcaraz, the retired Swiss maestro told him not to look too far ahead, suggesting planning only up to five years in advance. “Someone once told me I don’t need to think about playing at 35 or 38. He said I should focus only on the next five years, from now until 27. After 27, then consider the next five years. So, it’s not about thinking 15 or 20 years ahead, but taking it year by year, with a maximum five-year outlook,” Alcaraz explained.

For those unfamiliar, Alcaraz and Sinner will meet for the third consecutive Grand Slam final this season. Their first encounter was at Roland Garros in Paris. In that 5-hour 29-minute marathon, Alcaraz staged one of the most iconic comebacks in tennis history. Despite facing three championship points in the fourth set, he forced a deciding set and ultimately dominated Sinner in the fifth-set tiebreak.

However, in their next Grand Slam final meeting, Sinner responded strongly. At Wimbledon, the Italian defeated Alcaraz to become the new “King of Grass.” Therefore, in the upcoming showdown, the five-time Grand Slam champion will seek revenge, while Sinner aims for a rare US Open achievement and to make history alongside WTA world number one Sabalenka.

Defending a title in New York is rare, especially when it happens simultaneously on both ATP and WTA tours. To be precise, the same pair winning both men’s and women’s singles titles consecutively at the US Open has only occurred three times before. Now, Sinner and WTA number one Sabalenka have the chance to become the fourth duo to accomplish this feat.

The first occurrence was in 1986 and 1987, when Navratilova and Lendl each won their singles titles two years in a row. Then in 1991 and 1992, Edberg and Seles achieved the same. The most recent was in 1995 and 1996, when Sampras and Graf defended their championships consecutively.

Most importantly, Sinner’s primary goal remains to retain the world number one ranking. Currently, he leads with 11,480 points, while Alcaraz has 9,590. However, according to the live rankings, Alcaraz has temporarily overtaken Sinner with 10,840 points to 10,780.

Simply put, if Alcaraz emerges victorious on Arthur Ashe Stadium next Monday Beijing time, he will officially reclaim the world number one spot in the updated ATP rankings. Otherwise, Sinner will withstand this tough challenge and keep his throne.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)