Carlos Alcaraz secured his second US Open title this past Sunday, triumphing over Jannik Sinner in a four-set match, concluding with scores of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
The US Open title marks Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam achievement of the 2025 season, complementing his earlier victory at the French Open. That prior win was also against Sinner. That prior encounter, lasting five hours and spanning five sets, contrasted significantly with the Arthur Ashe Stadium match on Sunday.
Following a half-hour pause attributed to the presence of President Donald Trump and the heightened security measures implemented, Alcaraz established an early advantage against Sinner. His strategy displayed greater intensity compared to his semifinal clash with Novak Djokovic. It seemed he aimed to prevent another drawn-out, five-set contest with Sinner.
Sinner faced challenges in establishing a consistent rhythm early in the match, as Alcaraz employed a diverse range of shots, continuously maneuvering him across the court with his serves and forehand returns. His service game also lacked precision, resulting in multiple breaks by Alcaraz throughout the match.
Securing the initial set didn’t necessarily guarantee a win for Alcaraz. In their two previous Grand Slam encounters this year at the French Open and Wimbledon, the victor of the first set ultimately conceded the match. The possibility of this pattern repeating itself emerged when Sinner rallied to win the second set.
After appearing somewhat unsettled by Alcaraz’s approach, Sinner regained composure, found his comfort zone, and crucially, rediscovered his forehand precision. He executed shots that landed deep in the corners, beyond Alcaraz’s reach after being displaced on cross-court returns. Moreover, Sinner effectively reached drop shots and delivered shots past Alcaraz at the net.
With each player claiming a set, the championship final seemed destined for an extended, closely contested battle. However, Alcaraz harbored different intentions. He quickly established a 3-0 lead in the third set, forcing Sinner to sprint from one corner to another with powerful forehands that landed just beyond his reach. Subsequently, when Sinner retreated to defend against those returns, Alcaraz executed precise drop shots at the net to secure points.
Sinner consistently struggled to hold serve. Alcaraz broke his serve four times through the fourth set. That situation seemingly weighed on Sinner, leading some observers to wonder if he was dealing with some kind of issue that prevented him from keeping pace with Alcaraz’s returns.
Alcaraz asserted dominance in the third set, winning 6-1 and placing Sinner in the demanding position of needing to win the subsequent two sets to reclaim his US Open title. He achieved a crucial hold to initiate the fourth set and initially demonstrated the potential to extend the match to a decisive fifth set.
Sinner maintained serve to remain competitive with Alcaraz, but he couldn’t secure the break that could provide him with an edge. He leveled the final game at 40-40 with a backhand down the left sideline that Alcaraz couldn’t reach. However, upon returning serve, Alcaraz delivered an ace into the corner that Sinner couldn’t return.
Sinner’s quest to secure back-to-back US Open titles and his second Grand Slam victory over Alcaraz this year, following his win at Wimbledon, was unsuccessful. He encountered difficulties in countering Alcaraz’s style of play throughout the match. The Spaniard will now overtake Sinner as the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
Each of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year was won by either Alcaraz or Sinner, suggesting that men’s tennis could remain dominated by these two players for the foreseeable future, as no other competitors have reached their level of performance.
Alcaraz emerged victorious in two of his three Grand Slam matches against Sinner in 2025, claiming the winner’s trophy at both the French Open and now the US Open, while Sinner prevailed at Wimbledon. Consequently, Alcaraz’s career record against Sinner improves to 10-5, with him winning seven of their last eight encounters.
Here is how Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner progressed in Yahoo Sports’ live blog of the 2025 US Open men’s singles final with updates and highlights throughout the match:
