Carlos Alcaraz won the second US Open championship of his career on Sunday, overpowering Jannik Sinner in four sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The US Open is Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam title of 2025, joining his French Open victory. That win was also against Sinner, But that five-hour, five-set marathon was much different than the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

Advertisement

Following a 30-minute delay due to President Donald Trump’s visit and the added security that entailed, Alcaraz pushed the advantage from the outset against Sinner. His approach was far more aggressive than in his semifinal match versus Novak Djokovic. Perhaps he was hoping to avoid another five-set battle with Sinner.

Sinner could not find a rhythm early on as Alcaraz worked in a variety of shots and kept him moving across the court with his serve and forehand returns. He also couldn’t land his serve cleanly and Alcaraz broke him several times throughout the match.

Winning the first set didn’t necessarily bode well for Alcaraz. In their previous two Grand Slam meetings this year at the French Open and Wimbledon, the player who won the first set ended up losing the match. Maintaining that pattern looked like a possibility when Sinner rebounded to win the second set.

After appearing a bit rattled by Alcaraz’s approach, Sinner settled himself, became comfortable and most importantly, found the touch on his forehand. He landed shots deep into the corner that Alcaraz couldn’t reach after being left out of position on cross-court returns. Additionally, Sinner was also getting to drop shots at the end and firing shots past Alcaraz at the net.

Advertisement

With both players trading the first two sets, the championship final appeared to be on its way to a long back-and-forth classic. However, Alcaraz had other intentions. He quickly built up a 3-0 advantage in the third set, sending Sinner from one corner to the other with strong forehands just out of reach. Then, as Sinner would stay back to cover those returns, Alcaraz would tap a drop shot at the net to win the point.

Sinner continually had difficulty winning his serve. Through the fourth set, Alcaraz broke four times. That appeared to win Sinner down, compelling some observers to question whether or not he was struggling with an injury or illness that prevented him from keeping up with Alcaraz’s returns.

Alcaraz dominated the third set, 6-1, putting Sinner in the challenging position of having to win the next two sets to repeat as US Open champion. He earned a much-needed hold to begin the fourth set and initially appeared capable of pushing the match to a decisive fifth.

Advertisement

Sinner held serve to stick with Alcaraz, but he could not get the break that might gain an advantage. He evened the final game at 40-40 with a backhand down the left sideline that Alcaraz couldn’t get to. But returning on serve, Alcaraz aced a shot into the corner that Sinner couldn’t return.

Sinner was thwarted in his attempt to win consecutive US Open titles and his second Grand Slam victory over Alcaraz this year, after beating him at Wimbledon. However, he had few answers for Alcaraz’s game today. The Spaniard will supplant Sinner as the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

Each of the four Grand Slam events this year were won by either Alcaraz or Sinner, and it appears that men’s tennis could follow this path for at least the next few years as no one else has yet reached their level.

Advertisement

Alcaraz won two of his three Grand Slam matchups with Sinner in 2025, seizing the winner’s trophy at the French Open and now the US Open, with Sinner prevailing at Wimbledon. And with that, his career record versus Sinner improves to 10-5, winning seven of their past eight meetings.

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: