The US Open men’s final was not even a game old when back-to-back points signalled what we were about to see for almost three hours.

By the end of it, Carlos Alcaraz had won his sixth grand slam title, second US Open and reclaimed the No.1 ranking from his great but vanquished rival Jannik Sinner in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 dismantling of incredible quality.

But first some context. Alcaraz and Sinner are running roughshod through tennis in the post-Big Three era, which includes the last rites of a 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, who is still better than everyone but the new kings of the sport.

The Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry, into its 15th chapter and already with a devoted Wikipedia page, is transcending tennis and so captivating that it has offset the inevitability and potential fatigue of their match-ups.

They contested their third-straight major final on Monday (AEST) – something no two men had done in a single season in tennis history – on Sinner’s beloved hardcourts, but Alcaraz was intent on making an early statement.

Alcaraz, who lost his Wimbledon crown to Sinner two months ago, had already forced the world No.1 to work overtime in his opening service game, but an ace had the Italian one point away from escaping danger.

Sinner sent down a great serve that Alcaraz fended off before whacking a cross-court........

© The Age