“Almost all tennis fans who follow the men’s tour on television have, in recent years, experienced what might be called ‘Federer Moments’.” It is now twenty years since the most famous opening lines in tennis journalism were written by David Foster Wallace about Roger Federer, the man who has become the benchmark for all future backhands. Just as in August 2006, two decades on the Swiss player was once again the guest star of Fan Week – the run-up to the US Open, a week of mixed doubles, entertainment, engagement and viral clips, a time for light-hearted fun before the real game begins. ‘Tennis and the City’, in the capital of ‘sportainment’, the world’s largest stadium with the world’s loudest crowd hosts the season’s final Grand Slam, without world number one Jannik Sinner, who has been sidelined since 12 July – the day of the Wimbledon final – due to a right knee injury he is treating at J Medical in Turin. Sinner out, Alcaraz in. The rivalry that has defined the last three tennis seasons has only crossed paths once this year, in the Monte Carlo final (in 2025 there had been six head-to-head encounters, all in finals). ‘Sincaraz’ has been the refrain of recent days; 128 men in the draw, but only two playing for the title. Around this time last year, observers were wondering whether Carlos and Jannik had killed tennis, whether they had reduced it to a private affair, a matter for them and no one else. Their perfect balance on the one hand, everyone else with their backs against the wall on the other. Every path on the Tour seemed to lead to a final between them, and the route to get there always seemed so straightforward, so predictable.
