At the start of the tournament, I wrote that the U.S. Open owed us a Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz confrontation in the final. As it turns out, I could not have been more wrong.
Because this Open became a legitimate open after Alcaraz went down in the second round a day ahead of Djokovic falling in the third. The tournament has been energized by the charges of Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe to the semis on the men’s side and by the advance of Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula in the women’s draw.
And after the sport had been under the thumb of the hegemony of the Roger Federer-Rafa Nadal-Djokovic Big Three for two decades — benevolent, but dictatorial as well — this has seemed like a breath of fresh air.
The Big Three combined to win 29 of 30 Slams from the 2005 French Open through Wimbledon in 2012. The trio conspired to win 15 straight from 2006-09 and then 14 straight from 2017 into 2020. They were the Yankees. They were the Canadiens. They were the Celtics.
Get this: There was no first-time Slam winner on the men’s side for five full years from 2015 through 2019.
Popyrin earlier in this year’s U.S. Open. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Now, just as with those other historic dynasties, their time is over. Well, at least for this fortnight. Because foolish is the fellow who consigns Djokovic to the past. The 37-year-old Serb may not have won a Slam this year for the first time since 2017 and the second time since 2010, but he did advance to the Wimbledon final, and he did win the Gold Medal — on clay — at the Summer Olympics.
Still, there is a new dynamic at play. Yes, there is top-ranked, first-seeded Jannik Sinner with whom to contend at age 23. But he is neither Federer, Nadal nor Djokovic. He is not the dark cloud hovering over the draw. He does not present the same kind of specter.
“You put yourself in position, it’s only a matter of time, and the game is open,” Tiafoe said after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in Tuesday’s quarterfinal match. “It’s not like it once was where you make quarterfinals, you play Rafa, and you’re looking at flights.”
Of course, Tiafoe ousted Nadal from the Open two years ago in a fourth-round upset before the Yank advanced to the semifinal, where he lost a classic five-setter to Alcaraz. But you get the point. It has been one step forward and one back for Tiafoe over the last couple of years. It has been one step forward and one step back for Fritz, as well.
Until now.
The 21-year gap in Slam titles on the men’s side has been an embarrassment to the USTA, which once upon a time churned out one champion after another with Pete Sampras (12) Andre Agassi (seven) and Jim Courier (three) combining to win 22 majors from 1992 through 2001. Andy Roddick won the 2003 Open and reached three Slam finals over the next three years, losing to Federer in Queens in 2006. An American male has not been to a Slam final since.
But an American will be in the final Sunday. That is assured given Friday night’s marquee semifinal matchup between Fritz and Tiafoe, both of whom seemed to have been double jumped on the USTA ladder by the younger Ben Shelton, but not so fast. Fritz, who will be 27 toward the end of next month, and Tiafoe, who turns 27 in January, have twisted their way back, working on their own timetables and no one else’s.
The dream of an All-American final Saturday was dashed when 13-seed Navarro just could not stay with two-seed Sabalenka in Thursday’s first semifinal, going down 6-3, 7-6 (2). But Pegula rallied in the second semi after being routed 6-1 in the opening set by Karolina Muchova to overcome an early break in the second set to score a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph to move into the 30-year-old Buffalo native’s first Slam final.
Pegula will attempt to become the third American to capture the championship in eight years following Sloane Stephens’ victory in 2017 ahead of Coco Gauff’s title run last year. There have been no meaningful gaps on that side after Serena Williams’ era of dominance ended with her last Open championship in 2014.
Hence, it is the advance of the American men that has added spice to this tournament. A long time ago, it was taken for granted. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors hooked up in the Open semis four times in five years from 1978 to 1982. At least two Americans advanced to men’s semis 21 times from 1977 through 2005. Those were the days.
I guess there’s a chance that this tournament represents only an oasis. Perhaps there will still be miles of parched earth ahead for the Americans. But no one should bet on that. Tiafoe is in his second semi in the last three years and is made for the big stage. Fritz has conquered his psyche. Shelton is knocking at the door. Tommy Paul has big-game talent. Others are on the move.
There is, however, no time to waste.
This is the time.
This is the place.
Queens, New York.
USA.