Alcaraz Outduels Sinner To Capture U.S. Open Title and Reclaim World No. 1

For the third major in a row, the finals of the men’s singles event would come down to Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

The two budding rivals had split the two major finals during the summer, with Alcaraz winning the French Open, and Sinner responding by taking Wimbledon. On Sunday, it wasn’t just the U.S. Open title on the line, but also the world number one ranking.

Alcaraz would outplay his counterpart from the start, hitting twice the amount of winners over the course of the four set match, winning his second title in Queens with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory, and taking over the top spot in the ATP Tour rankings.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy. It’s my second one, but it’s still a dream come true,” said Alcaraz. “The second one here is super special. When you achieve the goals you set up for yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing. Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1 [ranking], it was one of the first goals that I had during the season, just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as the No. 1…It’s everything I’m working for, and I’m really happy to be able to live these experiences.”

Alcaraz was in control from the beginning, and despite dropping the second set, the only set he dropped all tournament long, he provided Sinner no opening to get himself back into the match. In total, the Spaniard fired 42 winners, to Sinner’s 21, and converted five of his 11 break point chances.

Conversely, he faced just one break point all match long, a fitting end to a remarkable serving display he put on throughout his two weeks in New York.

The last full match these two played was in the Wimbledon final, which Sinner won in four sets. The two had met in the final in Cincinnatti in the week before the U.S. Open, but Sinner retired from that match down 0-5 in the first set.

“I studied the Wimbledon final. I spoke with my coaches, and we saw the Wimbledon final, and spoke about what we would have done better in that match just in case I’m going to face him another time,” said Alcaraz. “We watched it, and we worked on it. We thought it doesn’t matter if he wins or I win, I just wanted to do the right things. I’m doing the right things and he plays an unbelievable match, and he beats you, it’s okay. At least you did the right things. I think today it worked really well. I did everything they told me that I had to do, and it worked pretty well.”