Jannik Sinner or Jack Draper will compete in the 2024 US Open final, so they will have to play each other in the semi-final of the tournament.
Draper has never had a run like he's had in the past month. While most of the attention is on his US Open run, it didn't start with the major at Flushing Meadows. It started in Cincinnati, where he was involved in a controversy in the match against Auger-Aliassime, but it didn't shake him too much.
His solid play continued in New York, and he's now in his first major semi-final. The Brit is the only player who hasn't dropped a set yet because he's won every single set he's played.
Some of his opponents weren't the highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour, as his draw cleaned up well for him when Carlos Alcaraz surprisingly lost to Botic van de Zandschulp, but he's done his job and performed exceptionally.
His serve is at the center of what he's been doing well, but it's not just the serve. He's moving well, and he's hitting the ball well, generating a lot of pace from both sides. He's been excellent overall, which he's had the talent for but never quite delivered on the court.
Sinner has been equally impressive, but his run has included beating some top players. Wins over players like Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev look hugely impressive, and they were.
He's back to playing his best tennis and looking very confident while doing so. Even when things didn't go as planned, he didn't panic. He had problems in both of his most recent matches, but he solved them and proceeded to win comfortably.
With the way the draw has turned out, he's the number one player in the world and the clear favorite to win the trophy. To do that, however, he needs to beat Draper, and he's never done that before.
Head-to-head:
In fairness, it's mostly because they have played only once before, and it's not because it would be a terrible matchup for Sinner. It actually should be a good matchup for him, but that doesn't mean it will go smoothly.
Draper's serve can be a huge problem because if the Italian can't put enough pressure on it, he can be in trouble. That's what happened to Alex de Minaur, who couldn't get much pressure on his opponent's serve.
Luckily for Sinner, he's a better hitter than de Minaur, and he has much more power in his shots. He's also a solid returner, which should help.
If the rally develops, then Sinner should be ahead of Draper, so it will likely come down to how many balls he can put into the court because every time he does, he'll be the likelier player to win the match.
| Jannik Sinner | Jack Draper | |
| 0 | H2H | 1 |
| 1 | Rank | 25 |
| 23 | Age | 22 |
| 53-5 | 2024 W/L | 30-17 |
| 243-79 | Career W/L | 70-46 |
Prediction:
With the way Sinner has played so far in New York, he will likely win this match. He's just a better player who has shown a higher level so far at the event, with all the confidence in the world right now.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in four sets.
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