How Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner emulated 41-year-old ATP feat during dominant summer
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been the dominant forces on the ATP Tour in recent months, with the world No 1 and No 2 comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.
The pair have now combined to win the last eight Grand Slam titles, with four majors apiece since the start of 2024, and they met in three straight major finals this season — a brand new milestone for the men’s game in the Open Era.
It has not just been at the Grand Slam events in which Alcaraz and Sinner have proven dominant, with the two now meeting in the final of the last five ATP Tour tournaments in which both have entered.
They are the first players in over four decades to meet in the final of 5+ consecutive events in which both have competed, following in the footsteps of two all-time greats: John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl.
Alcaraz and Sinner’s streak
Though they have both played in tournaments without the other present — Alcaraz in Queen’s, Sinner in Halle — the last five events in which the two have both played have ended in the world No 1 and No 2 facing off in the final.
That streak started at the Italian Open in May, when Alcaraz beat Sinner in what was the Italian’s first tournament back after his three-month doping suspension.
The two then met in a Grand Slam final for the first time weeks later at Roland Garros, with Alcaraz saving three championship points in a legendary clash, though Sinner would earn revenge by ending the Spaniard’s Wimbledon reign with a four-set triumph in this year’s final.
Both then withdrew from the Canadian Open, but then eased their way into the Cincinnati Open final last month, with the Italian unfortunately forced to retire just five games in due to illness.
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That then led to the first US Open final between the two, with Alcaraz ending Sinner’s title defence to win his second title at Flushing Meadows, and make it 4-1 in finals between the two this year.
The pair have chosen different tournaments to kickstart their Asian swing, with the Italian set to play in the China Open, and the Spaniard choosing to play the Japan Open, rather than defend his title in Beijing.
The next event that Alcaraz and Sinner are both set to play is the Shanghai Masters, where the latter will look to defend his title.
Lendl and McEnroe’s run
Two of the leading players of the 1980s, Lendl and McEnroe’s rivalry is one of the greatest in ATP history, and their streak of finals when competing in the same event took place across 1984.
The pair met in six straight finals when competing in the same event — one ahead of Alcaraz and Sinner for now — starting with the 1984 Masters, won by McEnroe.
The American then won a further four finals between the two tennis greats that spring, triumphing in Philadelphia, Brussels, Forest Hills, and Düsseldorf.
However, in their sixth straight final when competing at the same event, Lendl famously turned the tables, rallying from two sets down in an iconic Roland Garros final to lift his first major title.
Their streak came to an end at the 1984 Queen’s Club Championships; McEnroe reached the final and beat Leif Shiras, who had stunned Lendl back in the opening round.
The pair met 36 times in total, the most played head-to-head of either’s career, with Lendl holding a 21-15 advantage.
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