French Open: Sinner beats Djokovic to set up final against defending champion Alcaraz

PARIS (AP) — After beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the French Open semifinals on Friday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner must find a way past defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Sinner has not dropped a set en route to his first final at Roland-Garros, but Alcaraz has won their last four meetings and leads him 7-4 overall. Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title and Alcaraz his fifth.

“We try to push ourself in the best possible way,” Sinner said. “And the stage, it doesn’t get any bigger now.”

Djokovic is the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner's relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“I tried to stay there mentally, trying to play every point in the right way with the good intensity,” Sinner said. “You have to be ready to counterattack. That’s why it’s very important to be focused, no? Because if you sleep, then the match is gone.”

Sinner became the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros in the Open era, which began in 1968, after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.

Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.

“These are rare and special moments,” Sinner said. “I'm very happy.”

Djokovic was emotional and said it might have been his last ever match at Roland-Garros. He kissed his hand after the defeat, then put it on the clay, as if saying farewell to the stadium.

Sinner's tennis legacy here, and elsewhere, is still growing.

He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.

Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final and eighth at the French Open, a tournament he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper.

“I felt constantly under pressure, and he didn't allow me to have time to swing through the ball. He was just constantly on the line, trying to make me defend,” Djokovic said. “So that’s why he's the No. 1 in the world. I wish him best for the finals. I think it’s going to be an amazing matchup with him and Carlos, the two best players at the moment.”

Sinner praised Djokovic after beating him for a fourth straight time.

“It was such a special occasion playing against Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,” Sinner said. “I had to step up. I had to play the best tennis I could.”

When they met at the net, Djokovic gave Sinner a warm embrace and bumped his chest several times.

Djokovic seemed unsure how to trouble the Italian.

He tilted his head back in frustration when, in the second game of the second set, his attempted drop shot landed short. Then, his lob was not quite high enough and Sinner smashed it easily. Finally, when a 26-stroke rally went his way — featuring sliced drop shots and even improbable retrieves — Djokovic got a huge ovation from the crowd, who bellowed out “Novak! Novak!” as he milked their applause. That made it deuce. But Sinner took the game.

Sinner was becoming the Roland-Garros showman Djokovic so often was on the main court, where he won three of his major titles.

One improvised flick-of-the-wrist drop shot from back of the court was majestic, too good even for Djokovic to get back.

Djokovic had a brief massage on his upper right thigh during the changeover at 6-5 down. Serving for the second set for a second time, Sinner clinched it when Djokovic could not return his strong serve.

Djokovic took a medical time out immediately and received massage treatment on the same leg for a few minutes.

He looked sharper in the third set, but Sinner held his nerve.

Earlier, Musetti was struggling with his left leg.

He was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points.

“It’s not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,” Alcaraz said. “I wish him all the best.”

Musetti called for the trainer again after the third set and, after Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz.

“I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind,” Musetti said. “Tomorrow I will do exams.”

Frustration got to Alcaraz during the second set, and at one point he aimed a side-footed kick at his changeover seat.

“The first two sets were really tough,” Alcaraz said. “When I won the second set I was relieved.”

Musetti was playing in only his second major semifinal after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon last year. Alcaraz said he feels in top shape physically for the final.

“Really good. It’s been three intense weeks but I’m feeling great,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence right now.”

Alcaraz improved to 21-1 on clay this year, winning titles on the dirt in Rome — beating Sinner in the final after the Italian returned from his doping ban — and Monte Carlo.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Serbia's Novak Djokovic gestures as he leaves the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Winner Italy's Jannik Sinner, back to the camera, and Serbia's Novak Djokovic hug after their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates as he won the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays against Italy's Jannik Sinner during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Jannik Sinner plays a shot against Serbia's Novak Djokovic during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti serves against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti receives medical assistance during a break at the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Winner Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, and Italy's Lorenzo Musetti greet each other after the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts as he plays against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts as he plays against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)