Open

Carlos Alcaraz claimed the latest chapter of his compelling rivalry against Jannik Sinner with a four-set victory to regain the US Open title.

Spain’s Alcaraz started strongly, weathered a second-set fightback from Italy’s Sinner, before powering to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory in New York.

The men’s final was delayed by half an hour because of extra security measures put in place due to US President Donald Trump’s presence.

Once under way, the pair produced another engaging contest – albeit short of the drama and quality of their French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year.

Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz’s superior serving – an area which let him down against Sinner at the All England Club – ensured he reclaimed the US Open title that he first won in 2022.

The 22-year-old has now won six Grand Slam titles – making him the second youngest man behind Bjorn Borg to reach this tally.

Alcaraz’s victory ensures an even split between him and Sinner – who won the Australian Open as well as Wimbledon – at the four majors in 2025.

Alcaraz has also wrestled the world number one ranking away from Sinner, who held the position for 65 weeks.

After Sinner saved two championship points, Alcaraz reset to take his third opportunity with an ace out wide – celebrating with a now trademark golf swing.

THIS is the moment a passenger is dragged off a Ryanair plane after sparking a bloody brawl.

He reportedly attempted to yank open the emergency door mid-air during the flight from Bournemouth to Girona, Spain, on Thursday.

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The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Toulouse, France, so the troublemaker could be booted off.

Footage from the runway in Toulouse shows four cops carrying the bloke, who is lying limp and handcuffed in their arms.

They dump him down onto the tarmac as others stand guard.

The man – seen in a white t-shirt and orange shorts – apparently burst out with: “I want to go,” before making a beeline for the plane’s door.

Other passengers – realising he was intent on opening the hatch – jumped to stop him and a scrap followed.

The unidentified man allegedly spat and threw punches at fellow passengers before he was pinned to the floor.

A seatbelt was even bound around his legs to immobilise the troublemaker.

After being plonked back into a seat, he is said to have aimed a headbutt at a pensioner sitting next to him.

Other passengers broke down in tears and even suffered panic attacks in the face of his aggression.

One witness said: “The whole event was very traumatic.

“The man had gone into the toilet and then afterwards was trying opening one of the emergency exit doors.

“He then went to try the other shouting ‘I want to go.’

“That’s when a huge brawl started with a lot more than one man trying to get him away from the doors.

“There was a big punch up and he then finally got taken down in the isle and was pinned to the floor where they then managed to get a seatbelt extender round his ankles to stop him kicking.”

Fellow passenger David Malone said: “They started brawling in the middle of the plane.

“It went on for about 30 minutes and one guy was completely off his head, it took about three people to restrain him.

“It was horrible, there was blood everywhere there were people screaming and crying.

“It was horrible, disgusting really. It made you ashamed to be British to be honest.

“It’s sad really, I felt sorry for the staff. Something needs to be done about the amount of alcohol they allow people to consume at the airport.”

It’s understood the man had been fighting with another person in his group before heading for the doors.

After the man had been removed, the plane continued on to Girona, landing around two hours behind schedule.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “This flight from Bournemouth to Girona (4 Sept) was diverted to Toulouse after a passenger became disruptive onboard.

“Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse Airport and offloaded this passenger before this flight continued to Girona.

“Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a respectful and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption.”

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THE US Open will come to a close today at Flushing Meadows as the two biggest stars in tennis face off yet again!

Rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will go head-to-head in their third Grand Slam final of the year with US president Donald Trump attending the showpiece match.

Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final earlier this summer to take the SW19 crown for the first time.

Sinner is looking to defend his US Open title and win the 2025 trilogy between the two titans of men’s singles.

Follow our live blog below…

Second seed Carlos Alcaraz took down 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2 with clinical precision to reach the US Open final, prevailing in a highly anticipated showdown that packed the house at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The match on Friday was billed as the hottest ticket in New York and lived up to the hype, with a scoreline that belied its intensity, as the 2022 champion Alcaraz soaked in deafening cheers on match point.

Djokovic had won their two most recent meetings, including in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, but the 38-year-old showed wear and tear against the Spaniard 16 years his junior.

“It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year in general,” said Alcaraz, who won his fifth major title at Roland Garros this year and finished runner-up at Wimbledon.

“Just not having up-and-downs in the match. Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.”

Djokovic dropped his serve when he sent a shot past the baseline in the opening game and was unable to set up a single break point chance in the first set, which Alcaraz closed out with an unreturnable serve.

Urged on by the celebrity-packed stands, the seventh seed got in the fight in the second set, sending over a superb backhand to convert on a break point in the second game.

But Alcaraz had not dropped a set so far in New York and was not about to start as he put his foot on the gas, setting up a break point after surviving a 16-shot rally with one of his fine forehand winners and converting from the baseline.

Down 0-2 in the tiebreak, Djokovic outlasted his opponent in a cheeky exchange at the net and paused to take in the roars of the crowd, a reminder of the Serb’s perennial appeal two decades after his Flushing Meadows main draw debut.

But the Spaniard kept his nerve, closing out the tiebreak with two more unreturnable serves before Djokovic gifted him a break point with a double fault in the fourth game of the third set.

“It’s not easy playing against him, to be honest,” said Alcaraz, who hit twice as many winners as his opponent.

“I’m thinking about the legend, what he has achieved in his career. It’s difficult not to think about it. So that makes facing him even tougher.”

The writing was on the wall for Djokovic as he hit another double fault on the penultimate point of the match, and he leaned on the net as he congratulated his opponent with a grin after handing over the contest with a wide forehand.

“Of course, 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,” said Djokovic, who picked up the last of his four US Open titles in 2023.

“It comes with time and with age.”

Sinner overcomes spirited Auger-Aliassime challenge

Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled past 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the second semifinal to set up another blockbuster title clash with Alcaraz and renew one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries.

Shortly after Alcaraz wove his magic to dismantle Djokovic, the usually machine-like Sinner misfired at times but prevailed to ensure a third successive major final with the Spaniard.

The Italian world No 1 faced brief resistance in the fifth game of the contest but dialled up the intensity to hold and wrapped up the lopsided opening set when Auger-Aliassime sent a backhand wide.

Auger-Aliassime settled his nerves in his second New York semifinal, breaking for a 5-3 lead in the next set en route to levelling the match, before going toe-to-toe with Sinner in the third set, only for the momentum to shift again.

Sinner, who took a medical timeout for an unspecified issue earlier, found his groove to close out the third set and staved off a strong challenge from his reinvigorated Canadian opponent with some clutch serving in the next set to advance.

Sinner will face off against Alcaraz for the third successive Grand Slam final on Sunday. Sinner captured the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this season but lost to Alcaraz in an epic five-set battle in the French Open final.

“Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again,” said Sinner. “I feel like our rivalry started here (in 2022) playing an amazing match. We are two different players now, with different confidence too.”

Djokovic has scaled down his playing time considerably over recent seasons, tailoring his schedule to focus on the majors.

Moving clear of Australia’s Margaret Court in terms of Grand Slam titles is the biggest ambition left in his mind.

His body is not, however, complying.

Djokovic might have defied logic to reach the semi-finals of all four majors this year, but a straight-set defeat by 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows was another example of his waning physical powers.

Alcaraz and 24-year-old Jannik Sinner have cleaned up the past seven major titles between them, having taken their games to a far superior level than anybody else on the ATP Tour.

“I can do only as much as I can do,” Djokovic said.

“It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-fives at Grand Slams.

“I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.

“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least.”

World number two Carlos Alcaraz made his youth count as he beat 38-year-old Novak Djokovic to reach another US Open final.

Spain’s Alcaraz, 22, was tested by 24-time major champion Djokovic but had enough quality and energy to win 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in Friday’s first men’s semi-final.

The margins were fine in the first two sets, with Alcaraz rarely near his free-flowing best, but the gap widened as Serbia’s Djokovic faded physically early in the third.

Two weary double faults from Djokovic hurried his opponent into a 3-1 lead and another teed up a first match point for Alcaraz – on which Djokovic batted a volley wide.

Seventh seed Djokovic hung over the net as he waited to congratulate Alcaraz, before waving to all corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium as he departed.

Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, will play either Italian top seed Jannik Sinner and Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s final.

“Being in the final again feels amazing – it means a lot to me,” said Alcaraz.

“It wasn’t the best level of the tournament for me but I kept a cool head from the beginning and the last point.”

One of the most thrilling and unexpected moments in the tennis world in recent weeks was headlined by a Latina.

On Aug. 25, during the first round of the U.S. Open women’s singles tournament, U.S. player Madison Keys — who went into the competition ranked sixth in the world and had previously won the 2025 Australian Open — was defeated by Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa after three neck-and-neck sets.

The Mexican native, who is ranked 82nd in the world, previously had an 0-6 record against opponents ranked in the top 10.

After the over-three-hour match, Zarazúa revealed that she was so nervous before playing Keys that she was nearly in tears — but that she felt dialed in as the first game began.

“I’m a little bit small in height, so coming in here, it was like: ‘Oh, my God. This is huge!’ But I was just trying to focus on the court,” said Zarazúa, who stands 5 feet 3 inches tall. “I just tried to find my way and enjoy it, because I knew that when I retire, I’m going to be really happy about it.”

By securing this win, Zarazúa became the first Mexican player to defeat a top 10 seed at a major since Angélica Gavaldón upset No. 3 player Jana Novotná in the 1995 Australian Open.

When she was done with post-match obligations, Zarazúa noticed her phone was blowing up with messages and mentions online.

“It was funny because it was the first time I got a lot of followers in a few hours,” she told The Times in a Zoom interview. “It was hard at the moment, because I didn’t want to distract myself too much with social media. So I just left it until the tournament was over, and now I’m just looking at the messages and all of that. The attention was a bit more than I expected. Singers and actors and actually [reached out] and I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool.’”

Mexican actor Eiza González was one of the stars whose message surprised Zarazúa; she admitted she is a big fan of the “Baby Driver” star. She also noted that notable brands like Evian and sports networks like ESPN and Televisa also contacted her following her first-round win.

But Zarazúa didn’t let the spotlight affect her preparation for her second-round singles match against France’s Diane Parry.

“I honestly kept my routines going exactly the same. Even though the chaos was going on, the next day [my team and I] were back on the courts at 9 a.m. practicing, because that’s how I was preparing before my first round,” she said. “I didn’t really celebrate because I don’t think it was the right time. I literally stayed in my room, had dinner and went to bed early.”

During her second singles match on Aug. 28, she began to feel the weight of expectations as a sizable Mexican crowd cheered her on.

“I felt like I just couldn’t shake the nerves off. I just didn’t want to let the people down,” Zarazúa said. “At some point during the match I realized I should be doing this for me. I should be winning for me and not to please people. That’s what helped me settle the nerves and when I started playing better.”

Zarazúa ultimately exited the tournament after losing to Parry in a three-set match that ended in a super tiebreak.

“My mind started overthinking a little bit more than I should have, but I think that will help me as an experience for the next matches that I’m in that situation,” she said. “I’ve never felt that much support from the people. It was one of those days that you will remember forever, but it was also really heartbreaking.”

Zarazúa was also eliminated in the second round of women’s doubles play on Sunday alongside her partner Miyu Kato, after losing to the duo of Wu Fang-Hsien and Fanny Stollár.

When asked what it felt like to be the face of Mexican tennis, Zarazúa said she doesn’t feel burdened by the title.

“For me it’s more of a motivation, actually, because I’m a little bit older in the tennis world. I’m 27, so sometimes you really need that push to keep you going or something to look forward to,” she said. “For me to be that face of Mexico is what keeps me alive. Honestly, I don’t take it as an extra pressure on myself.”

Over on the women’s doubles side of the bracket, perennial star Venus Williams staged her comeback after a 16-month hiatus alongside 22-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez.

There is an over two-decade age gap between Williams and Fernandez (who has Ecuadorean and Filipino heritage). Yet their chemistry on the court did not point to that being a struggle.

The duo was a late wild-card entry into the tournament, and handily defeated its first three opponents without dropping a set.

“I feel like we kind of don’t really need to say much on court, and it just kind of flows,” Fernandez said after one of the pair’s wins last week. “That’s what I like, that we don’t need to talk as much, plan so many things. When I cross, I know Venus is behind me moving to the other corner; when she crosses, I’m going to go to the other corner. Just kind of like a nice harmony dynamic.”

Williams added, “I think we have a very similar mindset, similar attitude. So I think we’re on this wavelength that makes it easy for us to really move in the same direction.”

But this isn’t the first time that Fernandez has found success on the U.S. Open stage. In 2021, she made it to the women’s singles final of the tournament as an unseeded player before losing to fellow tennis youngster Emma Raducanu in straight sets. Their match was the first U.S. Open women’s singles final between two teenagers since 1999. En route to the final, Fernandez beat marquee players like Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Aryna Sabalenka.

Williams and Fernandez’s underdog run came to an end Tuesday in a straight-sets loss to the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals.

Following the loss, Fernandez thanked Williams for reminding her why she decided to play tennis.

“It’s just been an incredible week and a half being here and learning so much from from Venus. I’m just kind of like a sponge, so I’m just sucking everything in and learning,” Fernandez said in a post-match interview Tuesday. “Venus playing on the court, for joy, brought me back [to] why I started playing tennis … I started playing tennis for the love of the game and for bringing joy on court, not only for myself, but also for the fans.”

Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia entered the U.S. Open as the top-ranked active Latina player in the tournament. The 29-year-old São Paulo native advanced to the women’s singles round of 16 before being bested by American Amanda Anisimova. Haddad Maia and her doubles partner, Laura Siegemund, were eliminated from the women’s doubles bracket in the second round by Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Three Colombianas also made an appearance at the U.S. Open earlier in the tournament.

Camila Osorio lost her first-round singles match against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in three sets. The 23-year-old player also reached the women’s doubles round of 16 with her partner Yue Yuan, where they lost to Townsend and Siniakova.

Emiliana Arango ran into Iga Swiatek, the second-ranked player in the world and 2025 Wimbledon singles champion, in the first round of the women’s singles tournament. The 24-year-old Arango was defeated by Swiatek in her U.S. Open debut.

Julieta Pareja was also making her U.S. Open debut on both the singles and doubles brackets. At 16, she was the youngest player at this year’s tournament. Pareja was eliminated in the first round of singles play by 9th-ranked Elena Rybakina. She and her doubles partner Akasha Urhobo were ousted in the first round by Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.

Who went to the Texas ICE career expo?

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

My colleague Brittny Mejia wrote about the two-day career expo staged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Arlington, Texas, last week.

It was ICE’s first major event since $170 billion was earmarked for border and immigration enforcement in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4. Included in the legislation was tens of billions for new deportation agents and other personnel.

According to ICE, 3,000 people attended the expo, and nearly 700 received tentative job offers. This adds on to the more than 100,000 applications that the Department of Homeland Security claims to have received in recent weeks.

The agency has tried to sweeten the deal with incentives such as bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment benefits, in an effort to hire 10,000 deportation officers by the end of the year.

As aspiring ICE agents created a line out the doors of the career expo, a group of about 30 protesters yelled “Go home Nazis,” among other things, at expo attendees.

Of particular note was the sizable Latinx representation among the ICE agent hopefuls.

An interaction that Mejia captured between one young Latinx man named Ricardo with his friend over text captured the tension of communal versus personal goals.

“Oh hell no Ricardo I thought you was joking. I will not speak to you ever again if you become and ice agent … You have a dad who was deported dude.”

ICE officials say it’s the first of several hiring events planned around the country. According to the ICE website, there is a DHS expo scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 in Provo, Utah.

Read Mejia’s full coverage of the expo here.

Stories we read this week that we think you should read

Unless otherwise noted, all stories in this section are from the L.A. Times.

Immigration and the border

Arts & Entertainment

Climate

(Jackie Rivera / For The Times; Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)

Reigning champ Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula while Amanda Anisimova upset Naomi Osaka to make first US Open final.

Amanda Anisimova rallied from a set down to defeat four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3 and reach the US Open final, where she will take on holder Aryna Sabalenka for another shot at a maiden major crown.

“Oh my God. It means the world,” the 24-year-old said on Thursday after reaching her first final at Flushing Meadows.

“I’m trying to process that right now. It’s absolutely a dream come true. This has been a dream of mine like forever to be in the US. Open final and the hope is to be the champion.”

Twice US Open champion Osaka was playing in her first major semifinal since 2021 and embraced the big occasion in the prime-time glare of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The pair twice traded breaks in a tight opening set, and after a delayed line call by the automated system disrupted play, Osaka refocused and let out a big roar when Anisimova hit a shot into the net on set point in the tiebreak.

The 23rd seed struggled to carry the momentum forward in the next set, however, with Anisimova matching Osaka’s intensity.

After the players traded ferocious hits for 12 games in the next set, Anisimova pounced in the tiebreak to drag the match to a decider.

The eighth seed, who lost 6-0 6-0 to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final two months ago, surged ahead 4-1 thanks to a forehand winner and held her nerve from there to close out the victory and reach back-to-back Grand Slam finals.

“She was really giving me a run for the final. I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I tried to dig deep. It was a huge fight out there,” Anisimova added.

“I tried to stay positive. There was a lot of nerves in the beginning and that’s something I’m trying to work on. Yeah, this tournament means so much to me that I think that was really getting to me.

“In the end, you’re just trying to fight your way through. I’m trying to enjoy the moment. We were both playing amazing tennis, and sometimes that was like ‘how are we making these shots?’ but we were and we just kept going.”

Sabalenka keeps back-to-back dream alive

Reigning champion Sabalenka came from behind to beat American fourth seed Jessica Pegula in three sets to return to the US Open final.

World number one Sabalenka overcame Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a rerun of last year’s final.

It’s the Belarusian’s third successive appearance in the Flushing Meadows final.

“It was a really tough match – she played incredible tennis as always and I had to work really hard to get this win,” said Sabalenka.

“Just super happy to be back in the final and hopefully I can go all the way again.”

Sabalenka, 27, is seeking to become the first player to win consecutive singles titles in New York since Serena Williams won three in a row from 2012-2014.

She has now made the final at four of the last five Grand Slams but has not added to her haul of three majors since winning the 2024 US Open.

“I’ll go out there on Saturday and I’ll fight for every point like the last point of my life,” she said.

It has been a disappointing season in terms of Grand Slam success for Sabalenka, considering she reached the final at the Australian and French Opens.

She also made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, but on all three occasions emotions got the better of the 27-year-old.

She cut an anguished figure throughout January’s Australian Open final, where she was out-hit by Madison Keys.

An unforced error count of 70 was her undoing against Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, while she was unable to match Anisimova’s bravery at the All England Club.

The collapses in composure were reminiscent of her early career – and something she seemed to have put behind her when she claimed three Grand Slam titles in the space of 20 months.

But more heartbreak appeared to be on the cards for Sabalenka as Pegula – buoyed by a raucous crowd – came out on top in the first set.

Sabalenka struck the first blow in the opener, swatting away a booming forehand winner to break early, but a poor service game allowed Pegula straight back in.

The top seed’s irritation grew as more unforced errors crept into her game and the crowd loudly put their backing behind Pegula, who broke again and wrapped up the opener in style with a confident love hold.

After taking an off-court break before the start of the second set, Sabalenka returned with a renewed determination and quickly went 3-0 up thanks to a more clinical approach to her shot-making.

That gap was enough to see her through the remainder of the set and force a decider, which Sabalenka took control of from the off with an immediate break.

The 27-year-old furiously fought off Pegula’s attempts to break back and let out a huge roar after wrapping up the victory on her third match point.

“When we look at this game, it’s been a real opportunity for us just to put a mark on the World Cup.

“We made it very clear right at the start that we weren’t just coming here to compete in terms of being a number, we were here to get to the latter stages.

“We are in the latter stages and we believe that our performances have shown the progress we’re making and we want to keep progressing in this World Cup and this is a huge opportunity for us to do that.”

Scotland have made two changes to their front row from the side who beat Fiji last weekend, with hooker Lana Skeldon and tighthead Lisa Cockburn starting.

Elis Martin drops to the bench while Elliann Clarke misses out. Cockburn replaced Clarke during last weekend’s win against Fiji.

Lock Sarah Bonar will win her 50th cap, while Jade Konkel returns to the squad to take her place on a 6-2 bench.

Easson understands the scale of the challenge taking on a Canada side who have registered thumping wins over Fiji and Wales so far in the tournament.

However, he believes his side have been well prepared by their own victories over those two sides in Pool B.

“We’ve played against two sides of two different styles,” said Easson, who will step down as Scotland head coach after the tournament.

“Playing Fiji last week was actually a really good one for us because they were very physical, it was a real physical test, which Canada are as well.

“Canada also play fairly similarly in terms of, believe it or not, offloading more than Fiji, so statistically offload more than them.

“So we’ve had a fair idea of what we’re coming up against. We know the Canadians quite well, obviously a lot of the players play in PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby) and we’ve watched a lot of their games, so it’s going to be a very, very difficult test, one however that we are very well prepared for.”

Top-seed Jannik Sinner cruised through the semifinals, losing only seven games to Italian compatriot Lorenzo Musetti.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his ruthless run at the US Open by beating 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-1 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday in the first all-Italian men’s Grand Slam quarterfinal.

The world number one, who also holds the Australian Open trophy, extended his hardcourt winning streak to 26 matches and will take on Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinal on Friday.

“It was a good performance, I was very solid, I started well … It’s nearly midnight, so thank you all for staying,” Sinner told the crowd.

“Obviously, we know each other well,” he said of Musetti.

“We’re from the same country, there are so many Italians in the draw. Many Italians here so it’s nice to play here. Playing Davis Cup together and stuff but you have to take the friendship away for the match. When we shake hands, everything is fine.

“It’s amazing, I’m sure that back home some Italians are not sleeping. It’s a special country and we have amazing support.”

Sinner’s thunderous hitting from the word go helped him take a 5-0 lead, and while the loudest applause of the evening came when Musetti got on the board, that was the only joy he had in the opening set.

Musetti briefly threatened to break early in the second, but Sinner staved off his challenge to double his advantage, before easing through the next set and finishing it with a clean hold.

“Every player in the semifinals of a Grand Slam is playing amazing tennis,” Sinner added.

“It’s a very special tournament. The last Grand Slam of the year. There’s no better place to play a night match here, on the biggest stadium we have, with an amazing crowd.

“It means a lot to me.”

Jannik Sinner continued his US Open title defence in dominant fashion as he swept past fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti to reach the semi-finals in New York.

Labelled an “artificial intelligence” player by Alexander Bublik in the last round, Sinner’s scintillating form carried on as he won 6-1 6-4 6-2.

Musetti, ranked 10th, was unable to convert any of his seven break points, while he hit just 12 winners to his compatriot’s 28 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“We know each other very well. We’re from the same country, there’s so many Italian players in the draw, so it’s nice to play here,” Sinner said.

“Obviously playing Davis Cup together and stuff like this you have to take the friendship away, but when you shake hands everything is fine.”

In a ruthless first set, Sinner rattled through the first five games and conceded just five points before Musetti eventually held serve to get himself on the board for 5-1.

Sinner closed out the opener after just 27 minutes, but his momentum slowed in the second set as Musetti stepped up his level.

But the top seed managed to grab the decisive break at 4-4 and served it out comfortably before breaking twice in the third to secure the win just before midnight at Flushing Meadows.

“From my point of view it was a great performance, very solid,” Sinner added.

He has now won 26 consecutive matches at hard-court Grand Slam tournaments.

The 24-year-old will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday’s semi-final after the Canadian defeated Alex de Minaur of Australia.

An aiport, which is set to become one of the largest airport hubs in the world is currently underway – and it offers cheap holidays for sun-seeking Brits looking for a getaway

The construction of a brand new airport is underway – and it’s in one of the cheapest holiday destinations in the world.

The huge £9.5 billion mega airport Long Thanh, in Vietnam is set to open next year after being under construction for years and it offers a cheap destination for travellers. Despite the multimillion pound construction, Vietnam is often overlooked compared to nearby popular location Thailand, it’s far cheaper than most places in South East Asia.

Located in Ho Chi Minh, the largest city in Vietnam, it’s proving to be a dynamic hub for the country. The airport, costing VND336 trillion (£9.5billion), is hoped to attract more tourists, and will become the country’s largest airport.

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The new airport will feature some pretty impressive design elements, including the main concourse, which will have an 82m glass roof in the shape of a lotus flower and is expected to replace the current Tan Son Nhat International Airport with international flights, leaving Tan Son Nhat to just handle domestic and short-haul flights only.

A fourth terminal and the fourth runway also hope to be built by 2035. It’s expected to eventually welcome up to 100million passengers a year, making it one of the largest hubs in the world, taking on airports in Atlanta and Dubai.

The new airport also means transfer waiting times will reduce, as currently it can take up to five hours for connecting flights. Vietnam is an appealing place to visit for those looking for warm temperatures, as the climate remains above 30C throughout the year.

It is seven hours ahead of the UK and Brits don’t need a visa for holidays lasting 45 days or less, but your passport will need to have at least six months left on arrival.

It was also named one of the cheapest places by the Post Office in 2023, naming Hoi An as the most affordable beach destination and last year, the country was named the most affordable place according to the Expat Insider survey.

It comes as a brand new huge airport is currently set to be built in Europe, and will rival London Heathrow and Dubai as one of the biggest airport hubs in the world. Designs for Centralny Port Komunikacyjny airport, nicknamed CPK, have finally been accepted, with building work starting in 2026, costing a whopping £25billion.

The terminal design reveals two phases of development with the first set to open before 2032, and will be almost three times the size of nearby Warsaw Chopin Airport’s passenger terminal.

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Osaka returns to semis for the first time since 2020, while Amanda Anisimova gets Wimbledon revenge against Iga Swiatek.

Naomi Osaka returned to the US Open semifinals on Wednesday with a 6-4 7-6(3) win over Karolina Muchova, as the four-time Grand Slam champion delivered a battling display to underline her resurgence on the sport’s biggest stage.

Four years after winning the last of her four major titles, the Japanese 23rd seed, who returned last season after a lengthy maternity break, stretched her unbeaten streak in major quarterfinals to 5-0 and booked a clash with Amanda Anisimova on Friday.

“It means so much. I’m surprised I’m not crying,” said Osaka, who only two years ago was watching the semifinals from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was sitting up there watching and hoping I would have an opportunity to play on this court again, so my dreams are coming true … There’s been so much hard work you guys haven’t seen.

“I’m just grateful to my team. Hopefully, you guys will come and watch my next round.”

Muchova, who had been on court for more than 10 hours over four draining rounds, took treatment in the locker room for an apparent left leg issue after she dropped a tight opening set, but came out firing to break at the start of the next.

She struggled to move at times with heavy strapping on her thigh, but continued to frustrate her opponent with her inventive brand of tennis to break for a 5-4 lead, only for Osaka to wrest back the initiative and go through after the tiebreak.

“It was an incredibly difficult match,” Osaka added.

“She is one of the best players in the world. Every time I play against her, it’s so difficult.

“Last year, she beat me when I had one of my best outfits. I was really upset. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Anisimova avenges Wimbledon embarrassment

Anisimova flipped the script earlier on Wednesday, ousting second seed Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-3 to reach her first US Open semifinal and exact revenge for one of the most brutal defeats in Grand Slam history.

Less than two months after suffering a devastating 6-0 6-0 loss to Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, the American eighth seed won 67 of 121 points to complete the turnaround in 96 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova said in her on-court interview. “I’ve been having the run of my life here … Today proved everything for me. I can do it.”

The 24-year-old’s transformation from July’s tears to Wednesday’s triumph epitomises tennis’s capacity for redemption.

After watching back the painful Wimbledon footage on Tuesday night, Anisimova admitted she was “slow as hell” in that final but approached this rematch with renewed purpose.

“Today is definitely the most meaningful victory I’ve had in my life,” she told reporters. “I really came out there with, like, not an ounce of fear … I was constantly moving and trying to get myself going.”

Swiatek acknowledged that her opponent’s aggressive return game proved decisive.

“I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that, and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns,” the six-time Grand Slam champion told reporters.

The American dominated on return, converting four of nine break opportunities while Swiatek managed just two breaks from four chances, ending her bid for a seventh Grand Slam title and second US Open crown in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

The American’s journey from Wimbledon devastation to US Open breakthrough serves as a powerful reminder that in tennis, the greatest comebacks often follow the most crushing defeats.

Should Osaka defeat Anisimova, she will become the first player to reach a Grand Slam final after becoming a mother since Victoria Azarenka made the 2020 US Open showpiece, which Osaka won.

And if the four-time major winner goes all the way in New York, she will be the first player since Kim Clijsters (in 2009, 2010 and 2011) to have won a Slam after giving birth.

Having struggled to put a dent in Muchova’s serve earlier in the first set, Osaka pounced decisively at 5-4 – going 0-40 up and closing out the opener at the second time of asking.

Muchova, who began grimacing because of an issue with her left leg in the sixth game, called for the trainer and received medical attention off court.

She returned with heavy strapping on her thigh, but it didn’t seem to hinder her tennis as she opened the second set with an early break.

Osaka struck back immediately, however, and there was little to separate the pair until a frustrated Osaka conceded serve at 4-4 with a series of unforced errors.

But, as Muchova stepped up to serve and force a deciding set, Osaka regained her composure and bounced back aggressively, breaking to love to level the set.

She took control in the tie-break, opening up a 4-1 lead which proved enough for her to wrap up the victory with a beaming smile.

“It was an incredibly difficult match,” Osaka added in her on-court interview. “She’s one of the best players in the world – every time I play her it’s so difficult.

She joked: “Last year she beat me here when I had one of my best outfits, so I was really upset.”

Britain’s Alfie Hewett began his bid for a third straight US Open wheelchair singles title with a commanding victory over American Charlie Cooper.

Second seed Hewett needed just 61 minutes to record a 6-0 6-2 win against the 17-year-old.

Wheelchair tennis is making its return in New York after conflicting schedules with the Paralympics meant the competition was not held last year.

Hewett, who won the title in 2022 and 2023, is chasing a second Grand Slam singles title this season after triumphing at the Australian Open in January.

His long-term doubles partner Gordon Reid won later on Wednesday, claiming a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-1 victory over Spain’s Daniel Caverzaschi after two hours and 33 minutes.

Fellow Britons Greg Slade and Andy Lapthorne also made it through to the second round of the quad singles.

Slade saved three match points before wrapping up a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (11-9) win against Brazil’s Leandro Pena, while Lapthorne – a two-time winner at the US Open – beat South African Donald Ramphadi 6-2 6-3.

In the women’s wheelchair singles, Lucy Shuker fell to a 6-3 6-0 defeat by Dutch 23-time Grand Slam champion Diede de Groot, who has yet to win a major title this season after making her comeback from hip and shoulder surgery.

Novak Djokovic set up a titanic US Open semifinal with Carlos Alcaraz as the Serbian star kept his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam firmly on track.

The 38-year-old Djokovic advanced to a record-equalling 14th US Open semifinal on Tuesday with a four-set win over fourth seed Taylor Fritz, eliminating the last American in the men’s draw.

Djokovic’s 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory saw him improve to 16-0 against US opponents in New York, as he reached the last four of a major for the 53rd time.

“It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody’s match,” said Djokovic, who also drew level with Jimmy Connors for the most US Open semifinal appearances.

“I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third sets, he was the better player.”

Fritz saved two match points in a tight fourth set, before sealing his own fate with a double fault.

“That last game was nerve-racking. A tough one for Taylor to finish with a double fault; he didn’t deserve that,” said Djokovic.

Djokovic and Alcaraz will square off for the first time since the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, when the Serbian won in four sets to take a 5-3 edge in their rivalry.

Friday’s encounter is their fifth at a Grand Slam, but first at Flushing Meadows. Djokovic has won all three past meetings on hard courts.

Djokovic spars with crowd, wears down Fritz

Djokovic broke Fritz straight away inside a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium as he zipped into a 3-0 lead in the first set and brought up set point on his opponent’s serve in the eighth game.

Fritz resisted and piled on the pressure in the following game, earning five break points.

He could not convert, though, as Djokovic relied on his trademark grit to foil Fritz, including in an astonishing 25-stroke rally.

Djokovic eventually held to clinch the set, but Fritz carved out more chances in the fourth and sixth games of the second set.

His failure to capitalise allowed Djokovic to again seize the initiative by breaking for a 4-3 advantage. Fritz broke back with Djokovic serving for a two-set lead, only to tamely surrender his own serve with a double-fault in the ensuing game.

Djokovic made no mistake this time to pouch the set and mockingly blew kisses to the crowd as he walked to his chair.

But he began to get riled up with the pro-Fritz support willing their man back into the contest, prompting Djokovic to plead with the umpire to do more to quieten the crowd.

His focus dipped fleetingly, and Fritz broke to nudge 3-1 ahead and force a fourth set. It went on serve until Djokovic brought up two match points with Fritz trying to stay alive.

Fritz scrambled to save both, but Djokovic earned another shot and the American double-faulted to seal his rival’s passage to the last four.

Alcaraz demolishes Lehecka

Earlier on Tuesday, Alcaraz, who has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows in 2025, cruised into the semifinals, demolishing Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he fired off 28 winners and never faced a break point, putting on yet another almost pristine performance.

Alcaraz broke in the first game, helped on his way by a pair of Lehecka double faults, and the Spaniard got the crowd going as he triumphed in a thrilling, cat-and-mouse exchange at the net in the 10th game, sending a backhand winner streaking past the Czech.

The 2022 champion kept the momentum going in the second set, converting a break point at the net in the first game, and Lehecka became visibly agitated as he went down another break with a double fault in the seventh game.

Alcaraz smiled in disbelief as he nailed a series of precise shots to set up a break point in the seventh game of the final set, but Lehecka dug in to hold.

Alcaraz let out a triumphant cheer as he prevailed in a 12-shot rally on break point in the ninth game and deployed his golf swing celebration to the delight of fellow Spaniard and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was in attendance.

“I just played a really – or almost – perfect match,” he said. “I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.”

The five-time major winner has only been broken once so far in the tournament and could retake the number one world ranking from Italy’s Jannik Sinner, although he is trying not to think about it.

“If I think about the number one spot too much, then I’m going to put pressure on myself, and I don’t want to do that,” he said.

On any other day, Townsend, playing at her home major, would have been the crowd favourite.

On Sunday, the Louis Armstrong Stadium rode every high and low as she spurned eight match points before losing to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets to exit the women’s singles in the last 16.

But on the same stage in the doubles, she was playing against a partisan crowd.

Williams is, after all, a four-time champion at Flushing Meadows across the formats, winning back-to-back singles titles in 2000 and 2001 and earning two doubles titles alongside sister Serena in 1999 and 2009.

Across her career, she has fought back from wrist and back injuries as well as being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.

This was her first appearance in the last eight of a Grand Slam since reaching the semi-finals in the singles in New York in 2017 and her first doubles quarter-final since winning Wimbledon in 2016.

But despite the raucous reception as she walked on to court, the match was one-way traffic.

The top seeds were relentless, winning 12 of the first13 points to race into a 3-0 lead.

Their success was met with polite, if muted, applause and it was not until the fourth game, when Williams rolled back the years with a bruising forehand winner off Siniakova’s serve, that the crowd erupted into life.

Williams later held her second service game to 15 but Townsend and Siniakova, who only dropped six points on serve throughout the match, had one foot in the last four after 22 minutes.

The second set proved more competitive, with Williams and Fernandez both holding their serves, but with their opponents sending down 12 winners and just two unforced errors, they could not get a foothold in the match.

Townsend and Czech Siniakova, who have yet to drop a set, will face fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for a place in the final.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski – the sixth seeds – fought back from a set down to reach the third round of the men’s doubles with a 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win over Monaco’s Hugo Nys and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

However, Briton Marcus Willis was knocked out as he and Karol Drzewiecki of Poland fell to 4-6 6-3 6-1 defeat by Czech pair Tomas Machac and Matej Vocel.

Pegula arrived in New York in poor form, winning just two matches in her previous four tournaments and losing in the first week of a major four times in six appearances.

While she brushed away the cobwebs with routine wins over Mayar Sharif, Anna Blinkova, Victoria Azarenka and Ann Li, the quarter-finals presented a different challenge.

Pegula has previously struggled at this stage – last year’s run to the US Open final was her first success in the last eight of a Grand Slam singles draw after six defeats.

But Pegula was unruffled by her 1-6 record, capitalising on a slow start from Krejcikova to race into a 3-0 lead, including breaking to love in the second game.

She dominated the baseline exchanges, hitting deep groundstrokes to trap her opponent at the back of the court and regularly attacked the net to keep her opponent off balance.

Although Krejcikova pulled it back to 4-3, she was left to rue a poor serving performance, with a double fault at 40-30 opening the door for Pegula to break again in the eighth game and then close out the set.

Krejcikova’s serving struggles – winning just 28% of points on her second serve in the opener – continued and a pair of double faults at the start of the second set gifted Pegula an early break.

Pegula was not without her own service wobbles, throwing away a double break lead in the sixth game as Krejcikova sniffed another unlikely comeback.

But she maintained her composure and, a seventh double fault of the afternoon from Krejcikova brought up match point – which Pegula seized at the first attempt.

“I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis. I’ve been playing really solid and having good starts,” Pegula said.

“She had a couple of really good returns when I was serving at 4-1 and we all saw what she did against Taylor, so I’m happy that we’re done.”