On Sunday, 7th September, Carlos Alcaraz put in a masterful display in the US Open final to beat Jannik Sinner in four sets. Going into the latest chapter of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry, the Spaniard had won five Grand Slam titles to the Italian’s four, so has now extended his lead over his rival. Still only 22 years of age, Alcaraz is now joint-sixth on the all-time champions list when it comes to the four Grand Slams, alongside greats such as Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, and just one shy of John McEnroe. The only player to have reached six Grand Slams at a younger age was the legendary Bjorn Borg (who won 11 in total).
In this article, we’ll take a look back at how the 2025 US Open final played out, and also how the eventual champion reached the final without dropping a single set.
How Alcaraz Beat Sinner at the US Open
Adding his name a second time! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/Et3KyAtwSC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2025
After beating Sinner in the French Open final but losing to him in the final at Wimbledon, this match had added spice. And it was the Spaniard who started the stronger as he blasted out of the blocks to dominate the opening set, winning it 6-2. Using his powerful, sometimes unstoppable returns, Alcaraz got an early break of serve and kicked on from there.
Sinner is not one to capitulate, however, and the Italian hit back brilliantly in the second set; his blistering groundstrokes were too much for his opponent. Sinner took the set 6-3, and the match was brilliantly poised. But that’s when Alcaraz really hit top gear, or – perhaps – Sinner failed to find his optimal game.
Alcaraz once again ruffled his opponent’s feathers with an early break in the third set, and from then on, the Spaniard didn’t look back. He took the third set 6-1 and then, looking calm and in control of proceedings, eased to 6-4 in the fourth set to claim the victory that moved him back to the top of the world rankings.
If we were being kind, we might suggest that the abdominal injury Sinner encountered in his semi-final might have lingered to play a part in the final. The Italian certainly made more errors than he ordinarily would. But whether he was feeling a twinge or not, Sinner wasn’t quite on his game, and Alcaraz was ruthless in exploiting that fact. As we shall see from the match stats, it was a rather one-sided affair compared to some of the more competitive encounters between the pair.
Although this one went the way of the man from Villena, this pair are head and shoulders above the chasing pack as things stand, and they could dominate the sport for the next decade. Given that the last eight Grand Slam titles have been won by one or the other, they could take some catching.
The Key Stats of the Men’s US Open Final 2025
Match Stats
| Sinner | Alcaraz | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Aces | 10 |
| 4 | Double Faults | 0 |
| 54/112 (48%) | First Serve % In | 54/89 (61%) |
| 37/54 (69%) | 1st Serve Win % | 45/54 (83%) |
| 28/58 (58%) | 2nd Serve Win % | 20/35 (57%) |
| 1/1 (100%) | Break Points Won | 5/11 (45%) |
| 21 | Winners | 42 |
| 28 | Unforced Errors | 24 |
| 89 | Total Points Won | 112 |
As you can see from the stats, Alcaraz bettered Sinner in every department. Okay, Sinner had a better conversion rate of break points (100%)… but he only had one of those, compared to 11 for his opponent. The 61% of first serves that the Spaniard got in proved crucial, especially with Sinner dropping below 50% for that stat. And with Alcaraz converting 83% of his first serves into winning points (compared to 69% for Sinner), there was really only going to be one winner.
Add to that the Spaniard’s 10 aces and zero double faults, and it is clear he was serving brilliantly. But he also hit double the number of winners Sinner managed (42 to 21), so the relative dominance of the scoreline stands to reason.
Both players would have been level on five Grand Slams had Sinner won and the Italian would have retained his position at the top of the rankings. But as it was, Alcaraz put clear water between himself and his rival, and took top spot for himself. The Spaniard now has the chance to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in early 2026, though if he doesn’t make it, Sinner could get his own career Grand Slam if he wins the 2026 French Open. This rivalry will hopefully enthral us for the next decade and maybe more!
How Alcaraz Rached the Final
Carlos Alcaraz went into the 2025 US Open hoping to win the tournament for the second time, having won it in 2022 (his first Grand Slam title). He’d lost to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, his only loss in a Grand Slam decider to date, and was clearly determined to get back to winning ways in New York.
His opening round match was against the giant (6ft 11in) American, Reilly Opelka, and it was probably tougher than the Spaniard would have liked. He still won in straight sets (6-4, 7-5, 6-4), but he might have preferred a little less of a workout. It was certainly easier in his second-round match against Italian world number 63 Mattia Bellucci. Alcaraz raced to victory, 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, showing he was bang in form ahead of the sterner tests to come.
He faced another Italian in the third round, and it was a similarly straightforward victory, with Alcaraz getting the better of Luciano Darderi by a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 scoreline. Next up, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech at least took the Spaniard to a tie-break in their first set. But the result wasn’t a surprise and another straight sets victory sent “King Carlos” into the quarterfinals.
There, Alcaraz faced the 20th-seed Czech player Jiří Lehečka, and once again overpowered his opponent to win – you’ve guessed it – in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Next up, the legend of the sport seeking his 25th Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic.
On the evidence of this match, unless Alcaraz (and probably Sinner too) misses a Slam through injury, Djokovic won’t get past his already amazing achievement of 24 Slams. Alcaraz was just too quick, too powerful, too… good. He won in three sets, with the second having gone to a tie-break, and Djokovic supporters had to come to terms with the fact that their player’s time might well have passed.
For Alcaraz, though, his time at the top of the sport is still in its early stages. And if he can go on as long as Djokovic (who is now 38 years old), there’s no telling how many Grand Slam titles the Spaniard might accumulate. Though, of course, his great rival Sinner will have something to say about that!