Rafael Nadal called Carlos Alcaraz "more magic" and "unpredictable" than rival Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz and Sinner are set to meet in a grand slam for the third time this year after they both reached the showpiece match at the US Open.

They are the first two players in the Open Era to meet in the men's singles final in three different grand slam events in a single season, after also facing each other at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sinner won their most recent grand slam final at SW19 after Alcaraz won at Roland-Garros, but their last meeting at the Cincinnati Open was brief after the Italian was forced to retire due to illness.

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Nadal, who won four titles at Flushing Meadows, believes Alcaraz is the more exciting of the two players, but is also more prone to making mistakes due to his style.

"He [Sinner] puts a rhythm on the forehand that is very difficult to follow. He's very quick on picking the ball early, and he's quick on the transition from defending to attacking," Nadal told The Athletic.

"Carlos is more magic, he's more unpredictable, he can play at a level that probably sometimes Jannik cannot.

"But at the same time, he's making more mistakes, too – he can play better, but he can play worse, and it’s about finding the balance.

"Carlos has all the shots, sometimes he's making mistakes, but he's going for the shots, and it's more amazing to see because, at the end, it's more unexpected and unpredictable.

"That's why I'm interested in how they evolve, because I think both of them have room to improve, and they are so good."

Alcaraz and Sinner will face off on Sunday, with the latter looking to defend his US Open title.