(September 7, 2025) FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – Carlos Alcaraz defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win his second US Open and his sixth major title on Sunday. The win also gave him back the No. 1 ranking. This marked the third straight major final where both men faced off. The last time they played in a major final, Sinner got the better of Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
This is another year where the “New Two,” a phrase coined by former player Jim Courier, split the major titles among themselves. Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while the Spaniard won the French Open, where he saved match points, and the US Open.
“It’s great. I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy,” said Alcaraz. “It’s my second one, but it’s still a dream, a dream come true. The second one here is super special.”
“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing.
“Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, it was one of the first goals that I had during the seasons, just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as the No. 1.
“For me, achieve that once again, it is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing in the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. It’s everything I’m working for, and I’m really happy to be able to live these experiences”
President Donald Trump sat in a sponsor’s suite in Arthur Ashe Stadium and received a mixed reaction when he was seen on the screens in the stadium. The match was delayed by 30 minutes due to thousands of fans in line for security measures due to the president’s visit. The last time the tournament had a sitting president visit was in 2000 with Bill Clinton.
The match, which lasted two hours and 42 minutes, was played under a closed roof due to rain.
The Spaniard now leads the Italian 10-5 in head-to-head competition
The match was played under a closed roof due to rain.
The first two sets went quickly, in only an hour and 42 minutes. Alcaraz dominated the first set, breaking Sinner twice. One break of serve was all Sinner would need in the second set.
Alcaraz came close to shutting out his opponent in the third set, 6-1. Alcaraz grabbed the advantage at the beginning of the third set, breaking serve and holding the lead until the end.
“My team, my family, I am really lucky to have you guys, to be honest,” said Alcaraz at the trophy ceremony. “The hard work you do to make me even better, not only in the professional part, but the personal part as well. Every achievement that I am [making] is thanks to you, and this one is no less, it’s also yours.”
“You are doing an amazing job,” Sinner said to Alcaraz and his team during the trophy presentation. “I know [there’s] a lot of hard work behind this performance today, you were better than me. Enjoy it. It’s a great moment.”
“This tournament is super special for me,” he said. “It’s a privilege to be a part of this tournament. I just feel at home, feel the energy and feel the love, and I’m just trying to play my best for you guys. You made everything easy.”
“I know it’s a lot of hard work behind this performance today,” Sinner said to Alcaraz on court during the trophy ceremony. “You were better than me. Congrats. Enjoy it. It’s a great moment.”
“He has improved,” Sinner said of Alcaraz at his news conference. “I felt like was a bit cleaner today. You know, the things what I did well in London, he did better today. “You know, that’s result.
“You know, I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving, both sides, both swings very clean. Yeah, I think that’s it, you know. I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did.
“Yeah, he raised his level when he had to, so yeah, I mean, I’m still proud of myself, about the season I’m playing and making. But yeah, he played better than me today.”
“I think every player has their styles,” noted Alcaraz. “My style, yeah, it’s about the variety that I have in a match. I feel I can do everything on court, to be honest: slices, drop shots, topspin, flat.
“I just trust really much in my physical conditions. I feel like I can reach every ball, which give me the confident and the security of making good points and be able to play with variety. So I just, since when I was really, really young, I just got that feeling of doing everything. Just come to the net, playing from the baseline, drop shot, come to the net, slices.
“I had to work on that just not to make too many mistakes on the matches, so I just been working on that. Keeping that style, the variety, but at the same time being solid from the baseline that give me the opportunity to make the opponents in trouble.”
“I was very predictable today, you know, on court in the way of he did many things, he changed up the game,” Sinner said. “That’s also his style of how he plays. Now it’s going to be on me if I want to make changes or not, you know? That’s definitely we are going to work on that.
“I’m trying to be more prepared for the next match what I will play against him. It also, I feel like, depends how you arrive to play against Carlos. You know, one thing is when the scoreline, you know, matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, you know, I didn’t make one serve-volley, didn’t use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.
“So I’m going to aim to, you know, maybe even losing some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, you know, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.
“At the end of the day, that’s my main goal, no. So, yeah, I think that’s it. But overall, the season result-wise, amazing. Four Grand Slam finals of the year. You know, two Grand Slams won, two times lost in the final, it’s incredible results, no?
“Very happy, and now we try to finish the year as strong as we can.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I read his game, that he was predictable, but I know him,” said Alcaraz. “So it’s been so many matches against him. As he said, as well, he watch a lot of my matches just to study my game. I do the same. I watch a lot of his matches.
“First of all, because I love watching him play. I think it is unbelievable what he’s doing. Secondly, it’s because I love to study him, how he plays, how he feel on the tournaments just to if I played him in that tournament, just to have feedback how he’s been playing in the tournaments.
“I wouldn’t say he’s predictable, but I know his style. I know what he’s going to do or his main weapons on his game. So I just try to be focused on that. But, I mean, even though he could feel predictable, it’s really, really hard to maintain the level and playing long rallies against him.”
The 22-year-old Alcaraz won a total of 112 points to the 24-year-old Sinner’s 89 points.
Alcaraz broke Sinner’s serve five times, while Sinner broke serve just once.
Alcaraz hit 42 winners to 24 unforced errors while Sinner had 21 winners and 28 unforced errors.
Both men have a chance to complete the career Grand Slam. Alcaraz can do it at the Australian Open, Sinner, the French Open.
“Well, I think it’s going to be great,” said Alcaraz. “It’s my first goal, to be honest. When I just go to the preseasons to what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there. It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a career Grand Slam, calendar Grand Slam. So it’s going to be great.
“If I do first or second for me, to be honest, I don’t mind. I just wanted to complete it. Obviously I’m going to try to do it next year, but if it is not next year, hopefully in two and three and four. So I will try to complete it.
“If he does it first, it’s a great achievement, but for me, all I want to think is to complete it no matter when.”
More to follow
