When Carlos Alcaraz lifted his maiden US Open trophy in 2022, the world witnessed the arrival of a 19-year-old Spanish prodigy. Three years later, that teenager has grown into one of the most dominant forces that the sport has seen in recent memory. Returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the now 22-year-old claimed his second US Open crown by routing archrival Jannik Sinner in front of more than 20,000 fans. Alcaraz sealed the 2025 title with an ace on match point, and that very ball was recently auctioned at Sotheby’s for $88,900.

On the other side, Sinner fell in a grueling three-set battle, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, but the setback hardly broke his spirit. The 24-year-old, ranked No. 2, stressed that he remains in “good shape” and proved it on his Beijing ATP 500 debut, where he dismantled Croatian veteran Marin Cilic on Centre Court with a dominant serving display just hours ago. According to Tennis Abstract, it marked just the fourth time in his career that he had landed at least 77% of first serves in. But while Jannik Sinner stayed quiet about the Alcaraz defeat itself, he recently opened up about how the loss truly felt.

“Happy” with his season? Jannik Sinner weighs in

Both winners on Thursday in their respective tournaments, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won’t be meeting in the final this week. While Sinner is competing in the ATP 500 in Beijing, Alcaraz is headlining the Tokyo event as the top seed and clear favorite. Still, the Italian was asked once again at a press conference about his great rival, who overtook him as world No. 1 after the US Open. And the Sesto Pusteria native did not shy away from sharing his perspective.

“No, I don’t think it puts more or less pressure on me to be number 2,” the 24-year-old said. “The season went as it went: yes, we shared the Grand Slam tournaments, but we still had two very different seasons. I am very, very happy with the year I am still in the process of making. For my part, I feel that what I have accomplished is exceptional.”

The Italian then went on to give flowers to Carlos’ season, saying, “What Carlos is doing is also achieved: he has won many titles this year. He deserves to be there, it’s that simple. He played more tournaments and played them all at a very high level. If he is the one who has obtained excellent results, he deserves to be there.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have proven to be complete players with hardly any weaknesses in their games. Their biggest strengths: serve, forehand or backhand plus the next shot, and return — combine so seamlessly that the smartest move is often to start hitting aggressively right away. On top of that, they rarely need to dig deep into the rest of their arsenal to overpower opponents. Just today, the world No. 1 notched a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, while the world No. 2 followed with a strong victory that set up a clash with France’s Terence Atmane in the next round in Beijing.

Although both players appear focused on pushing further in their tournaments, a legend has weighed in on their rise. Having spent over two decades at the top of the sport and staying connected through his brand ‘On’ and the Laver Cup, Roger Federer recently offered some surprising thoughts on the current stars.

Jannik Sinner fires back at Roger Federer’s court claim

During the Laver Cup weekend in San Francisco, Roger Federer sparked debate while speaking on Andy Roddick’s podcast Served with Andy Roddick. He argued that the uniformity of ball and court speeds makes matches more predictable, giving an edge to stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. “Obviously, I understand why they do it. It acts as a safety net for the weaker player, he has to hit amazing shots to beat Sinner. On fast courts, he might get past with just a few well-timed hits. That’s the thinking behind these decisions,” Federer explained. His words seemed to point directly toward Sinner’s advantage.

Later, when asked about the comments in Beijing ahead of the China Open, Jannik Sinner remained calm and measured. “The hard courts, they are at times very similar. At times, there are some small changes, a couple of changes. One tournament that comes up a bit is Indian Wells because the ball bounces very high. It’s a bit different how the ball reacts with the court,” Sinner said, offering his perspective on the matter.

He went on to add, “But yeah, if not, we have more or less similar game situations on the court. This is how it has been for a long time, like this. I don’t know if there is going to be a change or not. I’m just a player who tries to adapt myself in the best possible way. I feel like I’m doing a good job in this. But let’s see what the future can give us in every tournament.” His steady, almost unbothered response suggested he was unfazed by the discussion.

While Federer’s observations carry weight, Jannik Sinner’s consistent performances show he is proving himself regardless of conditions, stacking up wins one after another. That said, do Federer’s comments raise a valid point about modern tennis becoming too uniform? Or does Sinner’s ability to adapt prove that true champions rise above court speeds and conditions? What do you think?