Carlos Alcaraz stormed his way to his second Grand Slam title of the year, taking down Jannik Sinner in the final of the 2025 US Open on Sunday. With the win, the Spaniard also toppled Sinner from the top of the ATP rankings, becoming the new World No. 1 after a two-year gap.
On Arthur Ashe Stadium under the lights, Alcaraz came in as the slight favorite, owing to the fact that he was yet to lose a set at the tournament in six matches. Sinner had been stretched to four sets in the semifinals by Felix Auger-Aliassime, and even showed signs of a small physical issue during the win over the Canadian.
On Sunday, the first set got off exactly as one would have expected. Alcaraz broke serve in the first game, then showed off some incredible talent in taking the set 6-2 with a double break of serve. The second set, however, saw a not-unusual but surprising lack of intensity and focus from the Spaniard. This time, it was Sinner’s turn to look commanding and imposing, as the Italian sailed through the set 6-3 to sow fear in the hearts of even the most ardent of Alcaraz fans.
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That fear, it turns out, was completely unwarranted. Carlos Alcaraz locked in once more as the third set began, just as Sinner began ramping up on the unforced errors count. Within the blink of an eye, the set was 6-1 in the Spaniard's pocket, a rare one-sided display of tennis a rivalry that has become increasingly talked about for its even-matchedness.
In the fourth set, Sinner started off strong and held on for a while despite the errors flying off his racket. But the Italian losing his serve looked a matter of when and not if at that point, and lose his serve he did to go 1-3 down. From there, with the match on his own terms, Alcaraz held on to take the win, wrapping up the fourth set 6-4.
With Sinner's loss, the infamous Roger Federer curse also continues at the US Open. Since the great Swiss champion won his 5th title in a row at 2008 and then lost the final next year to Juan Martin del Potro, not a single champion in the tournament has managed to defend their title. Not Novak Djokovic, not Rafael Nadal, not Andy Murray. In the 17 years since, 10 different men have won the tournament -- but never continuously.
Carlos Alcaraz revealed advice he got from Roger Federer at US Open
During his press conference at the US Open after beating Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, Carlos Alcaraz revealed that he had actually gotten some advice from Roger Federer. The Spaniard noted that Federer told him not to think too far ahead, instead telling him to focus on the next five years so he can set realistic goals.
"One person once told me that you don't have to think about 35, 38 years old, still playing at that age. He told me, like, you have to be focused on the next five years, from here to when I am 27. And then, when I get 27, then think about five years more. So, it's not about thinking in 15 or 20 years. It's just about going year by year or just thinking about just five years maximum," Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz, just 22 years old, now has seven Grand Slam titles to his name -- two each at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
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