NEW YORK — OK, sure, maybe it wouldn’t be rational to say there’s no point in actually holding the full U.S. Open and instead just fast-forwarding to the inevitable matchup for the men’s championship between Jannik Sinner — assuming he’s healthy — and Carlos Alcaraz on Sept. 7.Seems reasonable, though.“We know,” Novak Djokovic acknowledged, “they’re the dominant force right now.”When singles action begins Sunday at Flushing Meadows, a change from the usual Monday start, there are cases to be made for various players to make their way to the women’s final. The top three in the rankings — No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 3 Coco Gauff — have won the past three U.S. Open titles, for example. Other past major champions such as Naomi Osaka or Elena Rybakina have performed well lately; maybe a new face will emerge.When it comes to the men, there really is just one name that matters in this post-Big Three era, and that name is “Sincaraz,” the silly, made-up, “Fedal”-style mashup of the guys who are ranked No. 1 (Sinner) and No. 2 (Alcaraz) and have claimed seven Grand Slam trophies in a row and nine of the last 12. Djokovic took the other three in that span.There is nothing quite like it in the women’s game at the moment. The past five Slams were won by five players: Swiatek (Wimbledon in July), Gauff (French Open in June), Madison Keys (Australian Open in January), Sabalenka (last year’s U.S. Open) and Barbora Krejcikova (last year’s Wimbledon).“Sinner and Alcaraz,” said Marcos Giron, an American who has been ranked 37th and faced both, “are bringing a ridiculous level, week in and week out.”Look at the ATP rankings, which either could lead after the U.S. Open. Look at the titles. Look at the past two Grand Slam finals, with Alcaraz erasing a two-set deficit and saving three championship points to win the French Open in June, before Sinner won in four sets at Wimbledon in July. Look at the most recent Masters 1000 tournament, the Cincinnati Open, where Sinner didn’t drop a set en route to Monday’s final but quit because he was feeling ill, ceding the trophy to Alcaraz.That ended Sinner’s 26-match winning streak on hard courts; Alcaraz was responsible for the previous defeat, too. Alcaraz collected his tour-leading sixth trophy this season and has won 39 of his most recent 41 contests.Since Sinner returned in May from a three-month doping ban, Cincinnati was the fourth event both entered — and they met to decide the title in all four.They hit the ball as hard as anyone. Sinner’s returns rival Djokovic’s for best in the game. Alcaraz’s drop shots are unrivaled. The athleticism displayed by both is remarkable. Alcaraz might be the fastest guy around. Sinner’s long limbs reach everything.What sets them apart from others? …
