Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Carlos Alcaraz, Tennis, US Open
Josh Lawless
Jannik Sinner has been dealt a second major blow after suffering a 10th loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final on Sunday.
The two titans of tennis locked horns on the big stage yet again, having already met in the finals of the French Open, the Italian Open and Wimbledon in 2025.
Their 15th overall encounter was for a record $5 million purse as well as the US Open trophy.
Their most recent meeting served up another classic, with Alcaraz emerging victorious with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, four set win for his second US Open and sixth Grand Slam.
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But the result had even more implications for the two top tennis players in the world as it was essentially a winner-takes-all scenario.
Sinner was the No.1 ranked player for 65 consecutive weeks but his latest loss to Alcaraz saw him usurped in the rankings, with the pair swapping places.
Alcaraz was last No.1 back in September 2023 off the back off his first US Open victory in 2022, becoming the youngest ever player to take the top spot in the rankings.
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The honour of being the highest-ranked in the world isn't just for show though as in November, the No.1 player in the standings receives a special ATP Year-End No. 1 trophy presented by PIF.
Sinner was awarded the trophy in front of his home fans in Turin last year, while Alcaraz collected it back in 2022.
The Spaniard is in the driving seat to receive the prize for the second time, leading Sinner by 2,590 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
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"Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, 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,” Alcaraz said after his win.
“For me, achieving that once again, it is a dream. Doing [it] in the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. It's everything I'm working for, and I'm really happy to be able to live these experiences.”
After his US Open win, Alcaraz is not expected to feature in the upcoming Davis Cup, having initially been set to represent Spain against Denmark in Marbella.
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Instead, he is poised to return to action in the Laver Cup in San Francisco as part of Team Europe.
But immediately after winning in New York, Alcaraz expressed his desperation to complete a Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open - the only major he is yet to taste victory in.
“It's my first goal, to be honest. When I just go to the preseason to [see] what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there,” Alcaraz admitted.
“It's the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a Career Grand Slam, Calendar Grand Slam. So it's going to be great.”