Carlos Alcaraz is BEATEN by Jannik Sinner in a tense three-set thriller in the semifinals of the Miami Open with the Spanish teenager on the verge of losing his ranking as World No. 1 to Novak Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Miami Open defense hopes were dashed on Friday night when he was defeated 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2 by Italian Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
The loss will end Alcaraz’s reign at the top of the world rankings, with Novak Djokovic set to take over as world No. 1 on Monday.
Tenth-seeded Sinner stunned the top-ranked Alcaraz, coming back from a set down to defeat the defending champion in a three-hour thriller.
Sinner ended Alcaraz’s winning streak at 10 games. Sinner’s powerfully stable baseline game wore down Alcaraz, who appeared to be cramping early in the decisive third set, while also dealing with an apparent finger injury.
Sinner, the 21-year-old who reached the final of the Miami Open last year but hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals of a major, will face fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the championship match on Sunday. Medvedev has beaten Sinner in all five meetings.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Miami Open defense hopes were dashed with a semifinal loss on Friday
The Spaniard was defeated 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2 by Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner (pictured).
The loss will end Alcaraz’s reign at the top of the world rankings, with Novak Djokovic taking over.
Alcaraz had been so dominant recently that he hadn’t dropped a set since February before Sinner’s rally in the humid Miami. Enthusiasm for Alcaraz has been so great that breakaway NBA stars Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler turned up to watch the Spanish star from the teal seats.
Alcaraz also fought Sinner in Indian Wells in the semifinals, and it was a tense match but not quite. These two young guns are set for a long and spectacular rivalry. Sinner’s win ended Alcaraz’s hope of becoming the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami.
Medvedev beat compatriot Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 on the same day Wimbledon announced the Russians would be allowed to return.
Medvedev has won 23 of 24 games, the only loss against Alcaraz, and is in his fifth straight final.
Also on Friday, No.15 seed Petra Kvitova defeated unseeded Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-3 in the second women’s semifinal. Kvitova will face Elena Rybakina in the final.
Alcaraz prevailed in the first set in a tiebreaker but that took a lot out of the 19-year-old Alcaraz’s legs. Between points in the third set, Alcaraz stretched noticeably throughout the third set, trying to avoid cramping, and waved to the crowd for support.
Despite Alcaraz returning the second set on serve, Sinner stunned Alcaraz in the ninth game, breaking it to love to go up 5-4 and then closing it out. Alcaraz had won 21 straight sets.
An ATP coach came out to attend to Alcaraz midway through the second set, examining one of his fingers before the cramps began.
Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the final after beating fellow Russian Karen Khachanov