U.S. Open: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner to cruise to second men's championship

Carlos Alcaraz and rival Jannik Sinner have dominated the pro tennis circuit  the last two years, capturing all eight Grand Slam events between them. But Sinner, the Italian, had won two of the three major tournaments this year, and so Alcaraz, the Spaniard, needed to win Sunday’s U.S. Open final to draw even.

With President Donald Trump watching from a sky box at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz got it done, blasting 10 aces and winning 16 of 17 service games under the closed roof at Ashe to beat the defending champion and world No. 1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and capture his second U.S. Open title.

“It’s a great feeling,’’ Alcaraz said. “I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy. It’s my second one, but it’s still a dream come true.’’

Alcaraz was dominant in the tournament. The set he lost to Sinner was the only one he dropped in the entire two weeks.

“This is the best tournament so far that I have ever played,’’ he said. “The consistency of my level has been really, really high.’’

Alcaraz, 22, will leapfrog Sinner and take over the No. 1 ranking.

In addition to splitting the four majors this year, each has won four Grand Slam titles in the last two years. Alcaraz also won the U.S. Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2023, giving him six majors in his career. At 22 years, 125 days, he is the second-youngest man to win six majors; Bjorn Borg (22 years, 32 days) was younger.

Alcaraz said that right after he lost to Sinner at Wimbledon, he started to work on things he needed to do to beat him the next time they faced each other.

“I just thought that I need to improve some things if I want to beat him,’’ he said.

Sinner, 24, had been bidding to become the first repeat U.S. Open champion since Roger Federer won the event five straight years from 2004-08. He said he is happy with how the year has gone for him.

“I’m still proud of myself, about the season that I’m playing,’’ he said. “Overall, the season result-wise, amazing. Four Grand Slam finals of the year. Two Grand Slams won, two times lost in the final. It’s incredible results, no?’’

Sinner gave credit to Alcaraz, whom he described as “just a different player . . . [one who] doesn’t have weaknesses.’’

“The things that I did well in London [at Wimbledon], he did better today,’’ Sinner said. “I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving. Both sides [forehand and backhand], both swings, very clean. I give lots of credit to him . . . He raised his level when he had to.’’

The match started a half-hour later than originally scheduled, but Sinner said the players had enough advance notice so it was not a problem. Sinner never seemed to get comfortable in the opening set, though. He served first and was broken (Alcaraz broke him five times in the match), and Alcaraz won the set easily.

Sinner bounced back in the second set, breaking Alcaraz at love (his only service break) to go up 3-1 and cruising the rest of the way to even the match at a set apiece.

Alcaraz stunningly ran up a 5-0 lead in the third set and breezed to a two-sets-to-one lead.

In the fourth set, Alcaraz broke Sinner in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, and that was the only break he needed.

Serving for the match at 5-4, he led 40-15 before Sinner won two straight points to stave off two championship points. Then Alcaraz hit a forehand winner at deuce and closed the match out with an ace.

Asked about the rivalry going forward, Sinner said he was “very predictable today’’ and vowed to continue to work to make changes in his game.

“I’m going to aim to . . . maybe even losing some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player,’’ he said. “Because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.