Jannik Sinner Admits Costly Mistake That Doomed His US Open Clash With Carlos Alcaraz

Talk about flipping the script. Carlos Alcaraz did exactly that on a Sunday evening in front of a packed crowd of over 20,000 inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Perhaps he avenged that Wimbledon final where archrival Jannik Sinner dethroned him on grass. This time? It was the Spaniard’s turn to reconquer and reclaim. For Sinner, the crown of New York and the No.1 position were at stake. Alcaraz, however, toppled him with a superior performance, wrapping the battle swifter than anticipated. That ace down the line was proof of his one-sided domination in the summit clash.

After 2 hours and 42 minutes, Alcaraz was the last man standing as he captured his second US Open title. The entire hard court campaign in New York this time was nothing short of a perfect comeback for the Spaniard. His staggering record of 21 sets to 1 sums it up. Along with adding a sixth slam to his trophy collection, he also rightfully reclaimed the most coveted position in the ranking that he had held over a year ago. The top spot, at the helm of the ATP rankings.

On the other hand, Sinner couldn’t be candid while accepting a heartbreaking loss. While peeling back the layers of what went wrong with his performance in the post-match interview, the Italian confessed, “I was very predictable on court today. He changed up the game. That’s also his style of how he plays. Now it’s gonna be on me if I want to make changes or not. We’re definitely gonna work on that.” He also regretted not playing “a lot of drop shots. Then you arrive at the point where you have to play Carlos, you have to go out of the comfort zone.”

In an attempt to see the silver lining beyond the clouds of defeat, he simply vowed, “I’m gonna aim… maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes. To be a bit more unpredictable as a player. That’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player. At the end of the day that’s my main goal.”

After Sunday’s encounter, Alcaraz now leads 2-1 against Sinner in grand slam finals. Plus, the six-time major winner will also come back to the No.1 spot when the ATP rankings list refreshes on Monday. The Italian will now be No.2 after holding the crown for more than 60 weeks since last season. Overall, Alcaraz has extended his H2H lead to 10-5 against Sinner.

Jannik Sinner compares Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open performance to Wimbledon

The Italian was also quick to notice that his tour nemesis had vastly improved this time in almost every department. Probably that was the reason why their anticipated clash didn’t turn into a marathon like that initial slam final meet in Paris. That one ran for 5 and hours and 29 minutes.

This time, though, the Spaniard checked nearly all the boxes on what not to do against. Especially after his underwhelming performance in Wimbledon where the Italian bested him nearly two months ago.

Remembering the clash from the Center Court, Jannik Sinner revealed that this time Alcaraz really “improved. I felt like it was a bit cleaner today. The things I did well in London, he did better today. I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today. Especially serving. Both sides, both wings very clean. I think that’s it.”

He continued, “I give lots of credit to him. He handled the situation better than I did. He raised his level when he had to. I’m still proud of myself and the season I’m playing and making. He played better than me today.” With Alcaraz’s win on Sunday, this season has turned out exactly similar to the last one. How? Well, in 2024 and 2025, Sinner and the Spaniard have ended up winning two slams each in the calendar. Overall, they now share eight-straight major titles combined.

Don’t forget to follow our EssentiallySports Live Blog to stay updated with all the action from Flushing Meadows.