PARIS — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Friday to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
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.
Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros 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.
Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth.
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.”
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 in Paris, where 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.
A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic.
Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner’s serve.
The crowd broke out into prolonged chants of “Nole! Nole!” as Djokovic forced two break points at 15-40.
Sinner saved both. Tensions were rising.
The crowd started self-policing when a couple of rowdy fans shouted out as Sinner prepared to serve, telling the offenders to “Chut!” (the French for shush).
Djokovic’s forehand landed wide on his third break-point chance making it deuce.
The chair umpire Damien Dumusois came down to check the mark. Djokovic disagreed and walked over, saying “It’s on the line.”
Then Sinner came to the net and had a brief discussion with Djokovic, who lost the point but won the next with an overhead smash for a fourth set point, saved again by Sinner.
The reprieve energized Sinner.
