Carlos Alcaraz’s Miami Open defense comes to a crashing end with loss to Jannik Sinner in semifinals

Carlos Alcaraz’s Miami Open defense hopes were cut short Friday night as he was beaten 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 by Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. 

The defeat will end Alcaraz’s reign atop the world rankings, with Novak Djokovic set to take over as World No. 1 on Monday.

Tenth-seeded Sinner stunned top-ranked Alcaraz, rallying from a set down to beat the defending champion in a three-hour thriller.

Sinner ended Alcaraz’s winning streak at 10 matches. Sinner´s powerfully steady baseline game wore down Alcaraz, who appeared to be cramping early in the decisive third set while he also dealt with an apparent finger injury.

Sinner, the 21-year-old who made the Miami Open final last year but hasn´t been past the quarterfinals of a major, will face fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the championship match Sunday. Medvedev has beaten Sinner in all five meetings.

The Spaniard was beaten 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 by Italy’s tenth seed Jannik Sinner (pictured)

The defeat will end Alcaraz’s reign atop the world rankings, with Novak Djokovic to take over

Alcaraz had been so dominant recently, he hadn´t lost a set since February before Sinner´s rally in the Miami humidity. The Alcaraz hype train has been so breakaway NBA stars Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler showed up to watch the Spanish star from the teal seats.

Alcaraz also fought Sinner in Indian Wells in the semifinals, and it was a taut match but not quite like this. These two young guns are poised for a long and spectacular rivalry. Sinner´s victory ended Alcaraz´ hope of becoming the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win the Sunshine Double if Indian Wells and Miami.

Medvedev beat fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 on the same day Wimbledon announced Russians will be allowed back.

Medvedev has won 23 of 24 matches – the lone loss to Alcaraz – and is in his fifth straight final.

Also Friday, No. 15 seed Petra Kvitova beat unseeded Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-3 in the second women´s semifinal. Kvitova will face Elena Rybakina in the final.

Alcaraz prevailed in the first set in a tiebreaker but that took a lot out of Alcaraz´ 19-year-old legs. Between points in the third set, Alcaraz was stretching noticeably during the third set, trying to stave off cramps and waved to the crowd for support.

Despite Alcaraz getting the second set back on serve, Sinner stunned Alcaraz in the ninth game, breaking him at love to go up 5-4 and then closing it out. Alcaraz had won 21 straight sets.

An ATP trainer came out to attend to Alcaraz midway through the second set, examining one of his fingers before the cramps set in.

Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the final after he beat fellow Russian Karen Khachanov