Alcaraz Crowned Flushing Meadows Champion and Returns to World No. 1

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz avenged his Wimbledon final defeat to Italy’s Jannik Sinner by beating him 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open final, the last of the four Grand Slam tournaments, reclaiming not only the title but also the world No. 1 ranking.

The Spaniard secured his second major of the season after Roland Garros, where he also defeated Sinner, and his second triumph at Flushing Meadows. It was his sixth title in seven Grand Slam finals, and with this victory he returns to the top of the rankings for the first time since September 2023, ending Sinner’s 65-week reign. The Italian had claimed the No. 1 spot in June 2024 after winning the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon two months ago.

This win confirmed Alcaraz’s dominance over Sinner, recording his 10th victory in 15 encounters between them, including four wins in five encounters this year. For the second consecutive season, the two shared the Grand Slam trophies, each lifting two.

Sinner, who missed out on his fifth major and a second straight US Open final, graciously admitted: “Today, you were better than me. I gave it everything, but I couldn’t do more.”

Alcaraz, smiling at his rival after their fifth meeting of the year—all in finals—joked: “This season, I’ve seen you more than I’ve seen my family.” 

No player has successfully defended the US Open men’s title since Roger Federer won five straight from 2004 to 2008.

Historic Title for Sabalenka

Meanwhile, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus successfully defended her women’s title, defeating American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the final.

Sabalenka became the first woman in 11 years to win back-to-back titles in New York since Serena Williams, who claimed three in a row between 2012 and 2014.

It marked her fourth Grand Slam triumph following her Australian Open victories in 2023 and 2024 and last year’s US Open. “I can’t find the right words to describe my feelings. It’s crazy—every tough lesson made this title even more valuable,” she said.

The Belarusian played her third final of the season, having previously lost to American Madison Keys at the Australian Open and to fellow American Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final. She also avenged her defeat to Anisimova, who had beaten her in the Wimbledon semifinal, with the American now suffering a second consecutive Grand Slam final loss after her crushing 0-6, 0-6 defeat to Poland’s Iga Świątek at Wimbledon.

Anisimova said: “Losing two finals in a row is extremely tough. I feel like I didn’t fight hard enough to achieve my dreams today.”

With her 100th Grand Slam match victory in what was her seventh major final, Sabalenka earned $5 million in prize money for claiming the title, while runner-up Anisimova received $2.5 million.

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