Carlos Alcaraz claimed his second US Open crown on Sunday, defeating Italy’s Jannik Sinner in a thrilling four-set final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The Spaniard prevailed 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, securing his sixth career Grand Slam title and avenging his Wimbledon final loss to Sinner earlier this year.
The 22-year-old’s victory ended Sinner’s 27-match unbeaten run at hard-court majors and ensured Alcaraz reclaimed the world number one ranking for the first time since September 2023. He now joins an elite group of players who have won multiple Grand Slam titles across all three surfaces: hard court, grass, and clay.
Despite a spirited effort from Sinner, who admitted, “I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more,” the Italian fell short as Alcaraz dominated key moments, breaking decisively in the fourth set to close out the match. The loss also prolongs the Open era’s longest drought of successful US Open men’s title defenses, with no player having retained the trophy since Roger Federer’s five-year reign from 2004 to 2008.
The final, delayed by 30 minutes due to heightened security surrounding President Donald Trump’s attendance, saw mixed reactions from the crowd. The former U.S. leader was met with a combination of cheers and loud boos, particularly when shown on the big screens during the match. Celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Douglas, and Stephen Curry were also spotted in the stands.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open title on Saturday, overpowering Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). The Belarusian secured her fourth Grand Slam title, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to defend the New York crown. After tough final losses earlier this year in Australia and France, Sabalenka described the triumph as a moment of redemption, declaring, “All those tough lessons were worth it for this one.”
Anisimova, who had enjoyed a strong run to the final, admitted that difficulties with the indoor lighting disrupted her serving rhythm, saying, “I could not see the ball when I was serving, and that was a huge shock to my system.”
