Alcaraz is number 1

Perhaps the third Grand Slam final this season between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the outstanding young players reigning supreme in men's tennis, didn't reach the same heights of drama, quality, and breadth as what they offered at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. But Alcaraz's victory over Sinner in the US Open final was nonetheless momentous.

Alcaraz reestablished his dominance over Sinner by defeating the defending champion 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, giving the 22-year-old Spaniard his second Flushing Meadows crown and sixth career Grand Slam title. He also took the top spot in the ATP rankings from Alcaraz and left the tennis world eager to witness more in their saga.

In their third consecutive major championship match, Alcaraz emerged victorious after two hours and 42 minutes, sealing the victory with a wide ace.

Alcaraz led 9-5 in the head-to-head match against Sinner, a 24-year-old Italian trying to become the first man to retain the title at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer won five from 2004 to 2008. The Spaniard now leads 6-4 in the Slam trophy tally and 2-1 at the US Open.

It was the eighth consecutive Grand Slam title that ended with either Alcaraz or Sinner receiving the trophy, a clear demonstration of their astronomical superiority over the rest. They have captured every title at the major tournaments held since January 2024 and 10 of the last 13.

Novak Djokovic, the 38-year-old Serbian who lost to Alcaraz in the semifinals on Friday, took the other three in that span.

“Jannik, I see you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked at the awards ceremony.

Yesterday marked the first time in tennis history that the same two men met in three consecutive Slam finals in a single season. Alcaraz had triumphed at Roland Garros in June, and Sinner won at Wimbledon a month later.

The final was attended by President Donald Trump, seated in a sponsors suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I tried my best today, I tried, but I couldn't do more,” Sinner said.

This final on the New York cement was the prologue to a fascinating season at the Slams. Alcaraz defeated Sinner after five and a half hours, after saving a trio of match points, in Paris. The following month, Sinner defeated two-time champion Alcaraz in four sets on the grass of the All England Club.

Playing with the roof closed due to rain, Alcaraz came out determined to make amends for his defeat in the Wimbledon final. He took the first set in 37 minutes.

“We had a little chat after Wimbledon to see what had happened and improve our way of playing against Jannik,” said Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s coach.

Sinner shook things off in the second set by unleashing his repertoire of shots and attacking Alcaraz's backhand, turning the game around. After committing just two unforced errors in the first set, Alcaraz totaled 10 in the second, dropping his first set in the last two weeks in New York. This allowed Neale Fraser to retain his distinction as the most recent man to win every set he played in the tournament, dating back to 1960.

Alcaraz was once again overwhelming in the third set, taking the first five games in 31 minutes.

In the end, Alcaraz was the best, finishing with twice as many winning shots, 42-21.

At 22 years and 125 days old, Alcaraz became the second-youngest player in the Open era—since 1968—to accumulate six Grand Slam crowns. These titles have been split between Roland Garros (2024 and 2025), Wimbledon (2023 and 2024), and the US Open (2022 and 2025). The only remaining challenge is the Australian Open to complete his collection of the four major titles.