For some, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz seem to have swapped roles in this US Open, both adopting the other’s approach to the sport.
After all, the world number one has been famed for his relentless consistency, cruising through matches with minimal fuss and barely dropping sets.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard is far more unpredictable, still managing to win, but taking the scenic route, with fluctuations throughout matches.
It’s therefore ironic how comprehensive Carlos Alcaraz’s route to the US Open quarter-final has been, whilst Jannik Sinner dropped his first set against Denis Shapovalov and was 3-0 down in the third set too.
Speaking about those two matches, Andy Roddick has sought to dispel such a notion, speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
Andy Roddick reacts to what people have been saying about Jannik Sinner
Offering a quick overview of Alcaraz’s win over Arthur Rinderknech, he claimed: “Alcaraz. Tough first set and then rolls again.”
However, he then turned his attention to Sinner, claiming: “It’s so weird now because, two days ago, Sinner goes four sets and it’s like, Is Sinner okay? He didn’t play perfect!
“Yeah, it’s like, oh, he lost a set in a Grand Slam. That’s so… what a loser. You know? That’s so strange. But Alcaraz didn’t dare lose a set, just so we’re clear. Order was restored to Earth, even though they’re both in the tournament.”
This came after Alcaraz reacted to what he’d heard people saying about his consistency, having certainly disproved that theory with his performances throughout 2025.
Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record vs Jannik Sinner
Whilst these two remarkable players have wildly varying game styles, they are both equally as effective at securing win after win.
It is therefore why we have seen them face one another in the final of each of the last four tournaments have both entered, with the US Open expected to be no different.
After all, this is what tennis fans are consistently clamouring for, desperate to see yet another thrilling iteration of a rivalry that is already set to be one of the greatest in recent memory.
Thus far, they have faced one another 14 times, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head having won nine of those matches.
However, their most recent clash in a Grand Slam came in the Wimbledon final, as Sinner dethroned the two-time champion.
With the Italian the reigning champion in New York, it will be really intriguing to see what the dynamic is like should they meet for a fifth straight tournament in a grand final showdown.
