Jannik Sinner walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night knowing what was at stake. The US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, is always a crucible– even for the best in the world. But this year, Sinner carried more than just the pressure of defending his title. As the crowd roared, the world No. 1 looked focused, aware that another win could put him in tennis history. 

And he did not disappoint. On Wednesday, Sinner didn’t just book another semifinal spot. By dismantling fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in just two hours, he became the youngest ATP World No. 1 ever to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slams in a single season. Only three names had done it before him since 1973: Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. Now, Sinner’s is on that list too. 

Sinner’s season already includes titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, plus a runner-up finish at Roland Garros. Now he’s two wins away from defending his crown in New York. The records matter, but so does the bigger picture: at 24, he’s making Italian tennis history while looking every bit like the man to beat at the US Open. But to understand the weight of this, look at the names alongside him. 

Ivan Lendl, in the 1980s, dominated with relentless baseline power, winning eight major titles and reaching at least the semifinals in nearly every Slam during his peak. Roger Federer, in the 2000s, combined grace and precision to set records on both grass and hard courts, with semifinals in all four majors becoming almost routine as he amassed 20 Grand Slam titles. Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has defined the modern era with unmatched consistency, mastering hard courts, grass, and clay to reach the semifinals of all four Slams in multiple seasons.

The match itself was one-sided. Sinner won 91% of his first-serve points, saved all seven break points he faced, and punished Musetti with 28 winners to just 17 unforced errors. “From my point of view it was a great performance, very solid, especially starting very, very well in the match,” Sinner said after the match, as reported by US Open website on September 3. Speaking on defeating his compatriot, he continued, “Obviously we know each other very well,” while adding, “We have to take the friendship away for the match, then obviously when we shake hands, then everything is fine.”

While Sinner looks set to defend his US Open title from last season, he seems to be on a record-setting streak. With a win over Musetti, he also snatched another rare milestone while making his country proud.

Jannik Sinner creates US Open history for Italy

Jannik Sinner has dropped only one set in the ongoing campaign in New York. After wrapping his battle against Musetti, he also thanked the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for staying up late till midnight. “It’s amazing for sure,’’ he reacted. He even spilled the beans about the atmosphere back at home in Italy.

Per Sinner, “Some Italians say they didn’t sleep. We are very proud to be Italian. It’s a special country where we have amazing support. Italians are basically everywhere.” Well, he is right indeed. As an Italian, Sinner is basically everywhere these days. Especially when it comes to his presence in stats and records.

Following his QF win, Sinner has created history for Italy. He’s the first ATP player from his country in the Open Era, born since 1990, to reach the semis of all four slams in a single season, according to OptaAce. That’s an incredible feat, to say the least. However, the journey is still far from over.

Next up, Sinner will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has shocked everyone with a stunning US Open campaign. In the quarterfinal stage, he bested Aussie Alex de Minaur to book a semifinal clash against the World No.1. Now, what makes things interesting is that Aliassime leads the H2H tally 2-1 against Sinner.

In their last face-off, however, Sinner finally opened his account. At the Cincinnati Open last month, he defeated the Canadian in straight sets during the quarterfinal round. But who will have the last laugh this time? One simply needs to wait and watch.

Don’t forget to follow our live US Open blog to stay up-to-date with real-time action from Flushing Meadows. At Flushing Meadows, we also caught up with some of your favorite tennis stars off the court. Here is what Holger Rune had to say: