Jannik Sinner reacts to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s shock US Open exits after statement win
Jannik Sinner addressed the upset defeats suffered by his rivals Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 US Open as he continued his title bid with a dominant victory.
The world No 1 reflected that the surprise losses prove “anything can happen in this sport” as he outlined his approach of staying focused on himself.
Alcaraz crashed out of the hard-court major in a stunning straight-set second round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who was seeded third, won the previous two Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Djokovic, who was the defending US Open champion, followed Alcaraz out of the tournament on Friday after a four-set third round loss to Alexei Popyrin. The 37-year-old Serbian claimed the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in his previous event.
With the exit of his two biggest competitors, Sinner emerged as the clear favourite to win the men’s singles title at the US Open.
The 23-year-old Italian star solidified this status by steamrolling Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium court in the third round at Flushing Meadows.
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Sinner broke the 30-year-old Australian five times and did not face a single break point on his own serve in a one-sided contest. He now holds a 2-1 record against O’Connell, who is currently ranked 87th in the world.
In his on-court interview after his victory, Sinner gave his reaction to the upsets of Alcaraz and Djokovic.
“As we see, anything can happen in this sport,” Sinner said. “I try to stay on my side of the net. Taking it day by day. Each opponent is a tough challenge. Trying to enjoy every moment on the court.
“There have been a couple of upsets. Let’s see what’s coming. I’m happy to still be here and hopefully play as many matches as possible.”
On the match, Sinner added: “For sure, today was a great match. I knew I had to play very solid throughout the whole match. We played a few times.
“The serve was working well today. I’m happy about my performance. Obviously thanks everyone for the support. It’s been amazing.”
Sinner will face either Tommy Paul or Gabriel Diallo in the last 16 of the US Open as he continues his bid to add a second Grand Slam title to his 2024 Australian Open crown.
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