Alcaraz beats Djokovic at the US Open and now meets Sinner for the 3rd Grand Slam final in a row

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz was about to start a series of TV interviews to discuss the way he used his youth, athleticism and creativity to beat the much more accomplished, but also much older, Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the U.S. Open semifinals Friday.

First, though, Alcaraz asked everyone to hold on for a moment. He pulled his cell phone out of a pocket so he could check the score of Jannik Sinner's semifinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime. It was still only the first set of that match, but you've got to keep tabs on your biggest rival, right?

A few hours later, Sinner would finish off his 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Auger-Aliassime, establishing the Flushing Meadows final that somehow seemed inevitable, even if unprecedented: No. 1 Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz will meet Sunday to decide the U.S. Open champion, marking the first time the same two men have played each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within one season.

"These two players," said Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, “are the best in the world right now.”

No doubt about that. They have established themselves as far and away the elite men in the game.

No matter Sunday’s result, the duo will have split the past eight major trophies and taken 10 of the past 13. Their career totals: Alcaraz owns five Slam titles, Sinner four.

And the No. 1 ranking will be on the line Sunday, when President Donald Trump plans to attend.

Alcaraz defeated Sinner at the French Open in June; Sinner defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon in July.

Sinner is trying to become the first repeat men’s champion in New York since Roger Federer won the hard-court tournament five years in a row from 2004 through 2008. Sinner also has made it to five straight Grand Slam finals, a stretch that started at the U.S. Open 12 months ago.

Alcaraz hasn’t dropped a set as he pursues his sixth major title and second at Flushing Meadows.

Go back to April, and Alcaraz is 44-2, making it to the finals at each of his last eight tour-level events.

“It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year, in general. Just not having up-and-downs in (a) match,” Alcaraz said. “Probably, I’m just getting mature, just getting to know myself much better, what I need on, off the court.”

Since the start of 2024, Sinner is 1-6 against Alcaraz — and 109-4 against anyone else.

“We have played quite a lot this year,” Sinner said. “So we know each other very well.”

Alcaraz had lost his two most recent matches against Djokovic — in the gold-medal final at the Paris Olympics last year, and in the Australian Open quarterfinals this January.

“It’s not easy playing against him, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I’m thinking about the legend; what he has achieved in his career. It’s difficult not to think about it.”

But by the end, Djokovic was “gassed out,” as he described it afterward, and seemed resigned to the result. The 38-year-old from Serbia reached the semifinals at all four Slams this season but exited in that round each time, three via losses to No. 2 Alcaraz, 22, or Sinner, 24.

“It’s frustrating on the court when you are not able to keep up with that level physically, but at the same time, it’s something also expected, I guess,” Djokovic said. “It comes with time and with age.”

His bid to become the first player in the sport’s history to get Slam No. 25 was blocked again, and he thinks part of the issue is trying to overcome much younger men in best-of-five set matches.

“I still want to play ... (a) full Grand Slam season next year,” Djokovic said. “Let’s see whether that’s going to happen or not, but ... Slams are Slams. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have. But I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three.”

He led Alcaraz 3-0 in the second set, but couldn’t sustain that level.

“Today, I’d say, it wasn’t the best level of the tournament for me,” said Alcaraz, whose 30 unforced errors were the same as Djokovic’s total, “but I just kept a cool level (from) the beginning until the last point.”

He was wearing a pink, sleeveless shirt and sporting nearly a full head of hair less than two weeks after showing up with a buzz cut he said was necessary when his brother tried to play barber but messed up.

Asked whether he’ll stick with the new look if he wins on Sunday, Alcaraz smiled and replied: “Even better. You will see. ... Surprise, surprise.”

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, reacts after scoring a point against Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, celebrates after defeating Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, takes a seflie after defeating Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, hugs Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, after losing to Alcaraz in the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, can't make a return on a shot by Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, can't get to a shot by Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts afer winnning a point against Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Athletic trainer Clay Sniteman works on Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, between sets against Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, reacts after winning the second set against Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, returns a shot to Alex de Minaur, of Australia, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Lorenzo Musetti, of Italy, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns a shot to Jiri Lehecka, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot against Taylor Fritz, of the United States, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media that the U.S. Coast Guard had boarded the Motor Tanker Veronica early Thursday. She said the ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.

The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Galileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for moving cargoes of illicit Russian oil.

As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear that they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)