Carlos Alcaraz is set to stay as world No. 1 for the US Open after reaching the Cincinnati Open final against Novak Djokovic, regardless of the outcome of the clash at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Alcaraz has had more difficulty than usual getting through his matches at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, with each one going to three sets. Nevertheless, the Spaniard still made it through to the final of the tournament after saving a match point from Hubert Hurkacz in his semi-final and going on to win 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said that whilst the tournament had been difficult, he was glad to have proved himself by getting through regardless.

"It's been a really tough tournament, all matches have gone three sets. But I'm really happy to win these kinds of matches and stay strong mentally, these matches are really good for me. I grow up a lot thanks to these matches," he said.

This endurance has paid off well, as by getting to the final, Alcaraz has ensured that he will remain as the top seed going into the US Open in just over a week.

There was a chance that world No. 2 Djokovic could have overtaken him in Cincinnati. For that to happen the Serb would have had to win the tournament, which is still a possibility, but Alcaraz would have also had to have missed out on the final altogether.

Now, even if Alcaraz loses to Djokovic, he will still hold onto the top spot by at least 20 points.

The clash between the top two men in the world could act as an interesting preview into the US Open, where both will be vying for the title. It also serves as a re-match of their meeting in the Wimbledon final last month, where 20-year-old Alcaraz defeated the seven-time SW19 champion in a five-set thriller.

The Spaniard has now spent a total of 33 weeks at No. 1, and was the youngest player to reach the top spot when he first did so back in September 2022, at just 19 years and 4 months.