Character of Italian ace shines through despite loss in New York

NEW YORK — When Jannik Sinner walked off the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium after falling 6-2, 3-6,6-1, 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's US Open final, more than just a match had ended.

The 24-year-old Italian's 65-week reign as world No 1 was over, his 27-match winning streak on hard courts at the Grand Slam level had snapped, and his bid to defend his 2024 US Open title had failed.

Yet, in the immediate aftermath of defeat, Sinner displayed the maturity that has defined his rise to tennis' summit.

"First of all, I would like to start with Carlos and the whole team, you're doing amazing, congrats...it's a great moment," he said during the trophy ceremony, gracious even amid the ruins of his championship dreams.

The loss means that Roger Federer's consecutive wins between 2004 and 2008 remain the last successful men's singles title defense at the US Open.

For Sinner, it concluded a remarkable season that saw him reach all four Grand Slam finals, winning two and losing two.

His fifth meeting of the season with Alcaraz — their third Grand Slam final of 2025 — shifted their rivalry firmly in the Spaniard's favor, with the head-to-head now standing at 10-5 for Alcaraz.

But Sinner's post-match analysis revealed a player already looking ahead, rather than dwelling on what was lost.

"He has improved. I felt like he was a bit cleaner today," Sinner said in his news conference, offering a frank assessment without excuses.

"I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did.

"He played better than me today."

Perhaps most tellingly, the Italian identified his own areas for improvement with surgical precision and shared them candidly.

"Well, I was very predictable today," he said.

"Now it's going to be on me if I want to make changes or not ... to try to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that's what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player."

The loss of his No 1 ranking after 65 weeks atop the game represents new territory for Sinner, but he embraced the change with characteristic composure.

"Something new is that, now, I'm not No 1 anymore, so you know, it also changes a little bit that you chase. It's different. Then we see," he said.

Despite the disappointment, Sinner maintained perspective on his extraordinary year.

"I'm still proud of myself, about the season I'm playing, and making four Grand Slam finals of the year," he said.

"You know, two Grand Slams won, two times lost in the final, it's incredible results, no?"

As he thanked his team — "for supporting me, for understanding me, for working hard — we all know how much dedication we put in" — Sinner embodied the champion's mindset that transcends any single result.

His reign as No 1 may have ended, but his championship character remained intact.

Reuters