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Be careful what you wish for, tennis fans, you just might get it.
As Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer moved gracefully into retirement, we were desperate for a new force to awaken, a new duo to capture our hearts.
Enter Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, whose rivalry was launched in an epic quarter final here in New York three years ago, exploded into brilliance in the recent French Open final and continued at Wimbledon.
They are both extraordinary talents, their matches are extremely close on all surfaces and there is a contrast in style and personality. We have everything we wanted.
So why, as they march towards contesting a third straight Grand Slam final, does it all feel so flat in New York?
Because they are too good. Their finals are great, sure, but they are making the first six rounds of a Grand Slam, on the men’s side, feel irrelevant; a mere side-show before another clash of the titans. They are in serious danger of making tennis boring.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's rivalry was launched in an epic quarter final in New York three years ago
The pair are exhibiting a level of dominance over the competition not seen since the peak of Nadal-Federer, when they shared all 12 Slams between 2005 and 2007
If they contest Sunday’s US Open final, it would be the first time in the Open Era that the same men have contested three Slam finals in the same year.
In Wednesday night’s session, Sinner put his latest victim to the sword, crushing No10 seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. After his 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of Alexander Bublik, that was two night session matches in three days over in a flash, utterly devoid of jeopardy or drama.
The Italian has dropped only one set — to Denis Shapovalov in the third round — and Alcaraz has dropped none.
In the last four events both men have entered, they have met in the final. This is a level of dominance not seen since the peak of Nadal-Federer, when they shared all 12 Slams between 2005 and 2007. Even then they only met in four of those finals.
And we all know what happened next: Novak Djokovic crashed the party and heralded the greatest era in tennis history.
Twenty years on and, somehow,, like a grizzled vice-man who has seen too many winters, is trying to break up another cartel.
He will try again tonight, taking on Alcaraz. The other semi-final sees Felix Auger-Alliassime against Sinner, and perhaps the Canadian can spring a surprise. But the American moneyline at +1300 (that’s 13-1, an implied probability of 7 per cent) does not have much confidence.
Djokovic, at 38, is still playing superb tennis and it is to his enormous credit that he has holstered up his guns against the new sheriffs in town, when he could be enjoying a golden retirement.
In a strange mirror of the start of his career, Djokovic again finds himself trying to disrupt a cartel
But this is young man’s work — tennis needs someone to step up, to turn the duopoly into a triumvirate. We need a new Djokovic.
The Serb himself agrees. ‘Their rivalry is, without a doubt, the best we have at the moment,’ he said before the tournament. ‘And it looks like it’s going to stay like that for some time.
‘I empathize with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Federer and Nadal. I want to see a third guy coming in.
‘You have other young players that are definitely going to challenge them and hopefully somebody can get in the mix. There are players that are able to have that Djoker spot, the third spot.’
In one of the light-hearted social videos that went out pre-tournament, tennis players asked each other questions. Djokovic was asked what he will do after retirement and replied: ‘Coach Joao Fonseca.’ A gag, of course, but one that shows how Djokovic relates to the 19-year-old Brazilian, as the man anointed to join Sinner and Alcaraz on top of the game.
The kid from Rio is incredibly talented but we cannot really expect him to challenge for Slams until 2027 at the earliest. So, who else is there?
It ought to be Alexander Zverev, but at 28 and with bruising Grand Slam final defeats on his record, it may need a younger man. From a parochial point of view we would love it to be Jack Draper, and if he can recover from the physical issues which have plagued him this year he has as much upside as anyone.
My money for the next player to steal a Slam from the Big Two would be on 22-year-old American Ben Shelton, here in New York next year.
So we may have to wait a while. In the meantime, it’s over to you, Novak.
