Jannik Sinner was unable to defend his US Open title after being beaten by Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner had injury concerns coming into the US Open final, after he appeared to be struggling with an abdominal issue in his semifinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
This did not appear to be bothering the Italian in the final, but Alcaraz sent a message to Sinner after an impressive four set win.
Sinner has now fallen to world number two in the ATP rankings for the first time since June 2024, but former world number one Andy Roddick believes there is something undeniable about him.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAndy Roddick praises Jannik Sinner for how he behaved after losing the US Open final
This is the first time that Sinner has lost at a hard court Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open, and his second major final loss to Alcaraz this year.
The other came when Alcaraz beat Sinner at Roland Garros after saving three championship points, which was a heartbreaking defeat for him.
Despite the disappointment of losing another Grand Slam final, Roddick has praised Sinner for being classy in defeat.
“While we’re celebrating Carlos, like Jannik Sinner it’s been a hell of a year…There’s been a lot of stuff going on, you can agree with it, you cannot agree with it, you can have your own opinions,” Roddick said on his podcast.
“What I don’t think should be in doubt is the level of class he continually shows when he loses. Like French Open had to be a dumpster fire of emotion and he was great.
“Today he knew he was not close and acted accordingly. I just have more respect for both of these guys and how lucky are we to kind of fill the gap of the big three plus Serena with these two right away. I mean what a gift to tennis.”
What is next for Jannik Sinner after losing in the US Open final?
Alcaraz has already withdrawn from his next tournament after the US Open final, but Sinner will now have a few weeks before he returns to the match court.
Sinner enjoyed an impressive end to the season last year, and will need to do so again if he wants to keep within touching distance of Alcaraz and the world number one ranking.
This includes winning titles at the Shanghai Masters and the ATP Finals, but Sinner can gain points in Paris after missing the tournament last year through illness.
Remaining tournaments for Jannik Sinner in 2025Points defending from last yearChina Open330 (Final)Shanghai Masters1000 (Won the title)Paris Masters0 (Did not play)ATP Finals1500 (Won the title)
Sinner’s next scheduled event will be the China Open, where he is a former champion, and lost in the final to Alcaraz last year.
The China Open gets underway in two weeks’ time on Monday, September 22.