NEW YORK — Standing courtside at Arthur Ashe Stadium and watching Carlos Alcaraz lift the US Open trophy, I felt a complex mix of emotions. There was the undeniable sting of defeat for my player, Jannik Sinner, who had fought with immense heart and skill to reach his first final here. But there was also a profound sense of clarity. To be perfectly honest, I am not surprised he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. In the cauldron of a Grand Slam final, against an opponent of such ferocious and unique talent, the margins are microscopic, and on this day, Carlos was simply a fraction better.
Many will look at the scoreline—a 6-4, 7-6(7), 6-3 victory for Alcaraz—and see a straightforward affair. Those of us inside the game know better. This was a physical and psychological war of attrition, a match where both players pushed each other to the absolute limit of modern tennis. The disappointment for Jannik is real, but it is not a despairing one. It is the disappointment of a warrior who came up just short against another generational titan, and it is a feeling that will fuel him in the weeks and months to come.
The Alcaraz Conundrum: A Problem With No Easy Solution
From a tactical standpoint, preparing for Carlos Alcaraz is one of the most difficult challenges in our sport. He is not a player who wins with one overwhelming weapon, like a John Isner serve or a Rafael Nadal forehand. Instead, he wins with a devastating combination of everything, blended together with a creativity and fearlessness we haven't seen since a young Roger Federer. You cannot simply target his backhand or run around your forehand; he has no clear weakness. Our game plan was built on a few key pillars:
- Aggressive Depth: We needed Jannik to land his first strike, usually his return or his first forehand, incredibly deep in the court to push Carlos back and neutralize his ability to step in and dictate immediately.
- Controlling the Center: We aimed to own the center of the baseline, cutting off Carlos's angles and forcing him to hit from less advantageous positions.
- Capitalizing on the Serve: Jannik's serve has improved dramatically, and we knew he needed a high first-serve percentage to get cheap points and avoid prolonged rallies on Carlos's terms.
For stretches of the match, Jannik executed this plan flawlessly. He was up a break in the second set and had a set point in the tiebreak. But this is where Carlos separates himself. As I told Jannik afterward, "He plays the biggest points with the same freedom as the first point of the match. That is a rare gift." On set point, Carlos didn't play safe; he unleashed a monstrous forehand winner down the line that few other players would even attempt, let alone make.
Where The Match Was Won and Lost: The Second Set Tiebreak
If there was a single, pivotal moment that decided the championship, it was that second-set tiebreak. Winning that set would have completely changed the complexion of the match. It would have leveled the playing field and injected a massive dose of belief into Jannik while applying real scoreboard pressure on Carlos for the first time. Jannik had his chances, but Carlos's resilience was otherworldly. He saved the set point with that fearless forehand, and then, on his own set point, he produced a breathtaking, running forehand passing shot that left Jannik and everyone in the stadium in awe.
The psychological lift Alcaraz gained from stealing that set was immense. You could see it in his body language and hear it in the roar of the crowd. Conversely, for Jannik, having played such high-quality tennis and come so close to leveling the match, only to be denied by two moments of sheer genius, was a tough pill to swallow. The energy deficit at the start of the third set was palpable, and Carlos, smelling blood, pounced immediately with a break. That sequence, more than any other, is the hallmark of a champion.
The Physical Toll of a Grueling Fortnight
It would be remiss not to mention the physical context of this final. Jannik had an incredibly demanding path to the final, including that brutal five-setter against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals that lasted over four hours. While he recovered remarkably well, the cumulative fatigue against a fresh and explosive Alcaraz is a real factor. Carlos, by contrast, had a more straightforward semifinal. In a match where every millisecond and every ounce of explosive power counts, coming in with even a 2% physical deficit can be the difference between lifting the trophy and finishing as runner-up.
Looking Forward: This is Just the Beginning of the Rivalry
The narrative should not be that Jannik Sinner failed. The narrative is that we are witnessing the birth of one of the great rivalries in tennis. Jannik is 22. Carlos is 21. They have now split their four Grand Slam meetings. The tennis world is eager to anoint a new "king" after the Big Three, but the reality is that we are entering a period of shared dominance between these two phenomenal athletes, with a few other very talented players like Holger Rune in the mix. Their games match up perfectly, creating a compelling contrast of styles:
- Alcaraz: The ultimate all-court maverick, with flamboyant shot-making, breathtaking drop shots, and net-rushing bravado.
- Sinner: The powerhouse baseliner, with cleaner, more linear groundstrokes hit with devastating pace and precision from both wings.
This loss is not an endpoint for Jannik; it is a critical data point on his journey. He has proven he can beat anyone on any given day. He has now reached the final of a hard-court major, a huge milestone. The next step in his evolution is to conquer these final-stage moments against his very best contemporaries. As I said to him in the locker room, "You have to lose a final like this to learn how to win one." The hunger is now greater than ever.
Conclusion: A Testament to the New Golden Era
So, while my heart aches for Jannik, my mind is clear. We did not lose to a lesser player; we lost to a phenomenal one on a day he produced his best tennis when it mattered most. There is no shame in that. Carlos Alcaraz is a deserving US Open champion, a player who continues to push the boundaries of what is possible on a tennis court. For Jannik, this experience, as painful as it is now, is invaluable. It adds another layer of resolve, another lesson learned. The fire burns brighter. The work continues. And I have no doubt that the next chapter of the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry will be even more spectacular than the one we witnessed tonight.