Carlos Alcaraz "Stole" Two Titles from Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz seized two important things from his main rival, Jannik Sinner, whom he defeated in the men's singles final of the 2025 US Open tennis tournament. Alcaraz prevented Sinner from defending his US Open title, as well as his status as the world's number one men's singles player.

The final took place on the last day of the tournament, Sunday (7/9/2025) afternoon local time at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA. The match between the two best men's singles players in the last two years attracted the attention of tennis fans, including celebrities from the entertainment industry and other sports, such as Jon Bon Jovi, Spike Lee, Rami Malek, who watched almost daily from the stands, as well as NBA star Stephen Curry.

Alcaraz won with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a match lasting two hours and 42 minutes. The duration of this match was shorter compared to their previous encounters on the Grand Slam stage, which never lasted less than three hours. However, the audience was still treated to an exciting spectacle that left them in awe.

Sinner's fast, flat forehand, with the ball combing the line/corner of the court, was anticipated by the agile Alcaraz. Alcaraz was able to sprint from behind the baseline to near the net to execute a backhand volley with a cross direction. A gentle touch of the racket made the ball fall near the net. Sinner was at a loss for steps because he was at the back of the court. Curry was also amazed at this moment.

Sinner's movements aren't as agile as Alcaraz's, but he can launch steady attacks from the baseline. His weapon is a forehand with an average speed of 133 km/h. When playing on the grass courts of Wimbledon, his forehand reached a speed of 181 km/h. This shot is his weapon for keeping opponents behind the baseline.

However, at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, Sinner's game was more predictable than Alcaraz's, which boasts a more varied game. Besides powerful shots from the baseline, Alcaraz attacked close to the net or changed the pace of play with slices.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz's coach, stated that the title for the young player he has been training for six years (since Alcaraz was 16 years old) is the result of intense training over 15 days.

"After losing to Jannik in the Wimbledon final, we trained with a focus on the details. Moreover, playing against Jannik on fast surfaces, namely hard courts and grass, is very challenging. I believe Carlos is aware that there is much he needs to develop, and he can do that," said Ferrero on the official ATP website.

Alcaraz won his sixth Grand Slam title after the US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, as well as the French Open 2024 and 2025. His senior, fellow Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, was among the quickest to extend his congratulations via social media. There was also former Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol.

This achievement makes Alcaraz (22 years and 125 days) the second youngest tennis player to have six Grand Slam titles. He is only behind Bjorn Borg, who collected six titles at the age of 22 years and 32 days. His sixth title, out of a total of 11 Grand Slam titles, was obtained from Wimbledon 1978.

Alcaraz distanced himself from Sinner, who could match the number of Grand Slam titles if he wins the US Open. Sinner remains with four titles obtained in 2024 and 2025. This Italian tennis player is even the only player to reach the finals of all Grand Slams this year, with championship titles from the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Becoming number one has been my goal since the beginning of the year. To achieve it at the same time as a Grand Slam champion feels even more special. - Carlos Alcaraz

The victory at Flushing Meadows had another impact on Alcaraz, which was restoring his position to the top of the world rankings for the fifth time. He displaced Sinner, who failed to defend his 2024 championship points, to the second position.

"Becoming the number one tennis player has been my goal since the beginning of this year. Achieving it at the same time as winning a Grand Slam feels even more special," said Alcaraz.

Starting from September 8, Alcaraz has held the world number one ranking for the 37th week. He first reached this position on September 12, 2022, after winning the US Open. At the age of 19 at that time, Alcaraz became the youngest male singles player to be ranked number one in the world since the computerized ranking system was introduced in 1973.

Alcaraz stated that what he achieved in New York this year is the result of the support from all his close ones. "Coaches and family, I am very fortunate to have you. You work hard to make me better, not only as a tennis player but also as a person. Every good result I achieve belongs to you as well. It has been a spectacular two weeks. High-level matches, and also a mental test for me," said Alcaraz during the trophy presentation ceremony.

Chance of a long rivalry

Alcaraz alternated at the top ranking with Novak Djokovic until Sinner replaced them for the first time on June 10, 2024. After being unseated from the world number one position for 65 consecutive weeks, Sinner dropped to second place.

The change in position between Sinner and Alcaraz at the top of the world rankings may last for a long time. Djokovic, the only player able to perform consistently at a high level on the Grand Slam stage, has always encountered the "wall" of Sinner or Alcaraz. From the four semifinals this year, he lost to Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon, and then was defeated by Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals.

Other tennis players, both from the era before Alcaraz and Sinner, as well as from the same generation, have not been able to consistently compete with them. The ranking points earned serve as the clearest indicator. In the ranking list on September 8, Alcaraz had 11,540 points, followed by Sinner with 10,780 points. Alexander Zverev, in third place, only had 5,930 points.

The point difference between Sinner and Zverev is comparable to the points that can be earned from two Grand Slam titles plus one semifinal or four ATP Masters 1000 titles plus one final. The dominance of the "Big Two," Alcaraz and Sinner, is also evident from the list of Grand Slam champions.

There are no other names besides the two tennis players in the eight tournaments since 2024. The balance of their competition is represented by the statistics of four titles won by Sinner and four titles by Alcaraz.

The last three meetings have all occurred in the Grand Slam finals. The US Open final is a continuation of the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.

Alcaraz won on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris, France, in five sets after saving three match points from Sinner. The five-hour, 29-minute match was their best rivalry, at least until the US Open.

Sinner then struck back on the grass courts at the All England Club in London, England, to deny champion Alcaraz a hat trick. Sinner's fast, flat strokes suited the fast, low-bouncing grass court.

The US Open Final marks the seventh competition between Alcaraz and Sinner in the championship match. This number surpasses the final encounters in the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

A total of 60 meetings between them is the highest in the competition of men's singles in the Open era. However, in the first four years of their rivalry (2006-2010), Nadal and Djokovic met in the finals "only" five times.

Another rivalry that emerged earlier, namely between Nadal and Roger Federer, produced more finals in the first four years. They competed in finals 14 times from 2004 to 2008, out of a total of 24 finals. "Fedal," the term for their rivalry, even saw them compete in finals in eight consecutive meetings from 2008 to 2010.

The situation arose because only Federer and Nadal consistently played at a high level in major tournaments. It was only since 2008 that their rivalry was joined by Djokovic, who won the Australian Open.

However, Djokovic needed three years to truly match Federer and Nadal. After the 2008 Australian Open, he only won another Grand Slam in 2011, this time becoming the champion of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Djokovic ultimately surpassed his toughest rivals with 24 Grand Slam titles.

Without the presence of a "third party" between Alcaraz and Sinner since 2024, their rivalry is likely to continue recurring. "These two young men seem destined to meet more often in the finals," said Jim Courier, a former world number one tennis player who served as a commentator for the men's singles final at the US Open.

Djokovic has expressed difficulty competing with Alcaraz and Sinner in Grand Slam tournaments that use the best-of-five scoring format. He still has a chance if the matches are played in a best-of-three format, as on the ATP Tour.

Sinner also acknowledged that it has become increasingly difficult for him to defeat Alcaraz, despite making significant progress over the past two years. In the eight Grand Slams since 2024, the 24-year-old player has reached the finals six times, winning titles at the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open, the 2024 US Open, and Wimbledon 2025.

With his final appearance in all Grand Slam tournaments in 2025, Sinner became the fourth male singles player in the Open Era to reach the finals of four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. Sinner matched Rod Laver, who accomplished this in 1969, as well as Federer (2006, 2007, 2009) and Djokovic (2015, 2021, 2023).

Sinner has always been a formidable barrier for almost all tennis players, but he often has vulnerabilities that Alcaraz can exploit. Sinner has lost seven out of eight encounters since the beginning of 2024, except in the Wimbledon final of 2025.

"My game is very easy to predict, while Carlos's performance is different compared to our last meeting (Wimbledon final). He made fewer mistakes, played better in many aspects, especially in serving. Carlos has improved his performance," said Sinner.

"The 'obstacle' to playing more variably during the US Open final actually stems from victories in the previous rounds. When other players could not match his game, Sinner played in the same manner in the final. In fact, Alcaraz possesses a higher skill level compared to other players."

"For example, I didn't serve and volley in other matches, and I didn't make many drop shots. I played the same pattern in the final. However, against Carlos, I should have stepped out of that comfort zone. After this, I need to make changes, at least to become a player whose game is a little less predictable. That's my goal," said Sinner. (ap/afp)