On Sunday afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will collide in the 2025 US Open final, capping off a season that has redefined the landscape of the sport.
For the first time in over two decades, a full calendar year has passed in men’s tennis without a single Grand Slam final featuring Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal.
The era that defined a generation has ended- not with a whimper, but with the rise of two undeniable forces.
This isn’t just a final. It’s a reckoning.
The Big 2
The Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry is no longer a subplot in the aftermath of the Big 3. It is the plot. In 2025 alone, the duo has now met in the finals of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and now the US Open- becoming the first pair in history to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals in a single year.
It’s the kind of dominance last seen when Djokovic and Nadal battled through four straight finals from Wimbledon 2011 to Roland Garros 2012. But there’s a key difference here: neither Sinner nor Alcaraz is chasing history anymore. They’re writing their own.
Jannik Sinner
At just 24 years and 19 days old, Jannik Sinner has reached all four Grand Slam finals in a single year, breaking Roger Federer’s record set in 2006. His growth from a wiry teen with clean groundstrokes to a mental titan has been nothing short of meteoric.
On Friday night, Sinner defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to book his fifth consecutive Slam final- a feat matched only by Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg. It also marked his 87th Grand Slam win, surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli as the most by an Italian.
With 300 career ATP wins now to his name and a jaw-dropping 90.9% win rate in his last 110 matches, Sinner is no longer a rising star- he’s the standard.
But Sunday brings more than just silverware. Should he fall to Alcaraz, Sinner will also lose the World No. 1 ranking, which he has held firmly for 65 consecutive weeks.
Carlos Alcaraz
Across the net will stand Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old phenom who has bulldozed his way into the final without dropping a single set. In doing so, he became the second youngest player in the Open Era to reach a US Open final in such fashion, behind only Jim Courier in 1991.
His semifinal masterclass against Novak Djokovic- a straight-sets dismantling of the 24-time Slam champion- felt symbolic. The apprentice has now become the master. More than that, Alcaraz looks poised to win the US Open without dropping a set, a feat of staggering dominance.
Alcaraz enters the final with a 9-5 head-to-head lead over Sinner, and a chance to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking he first earned on this very court in 2022.
That title win- over Casper Ruud- was also a “winner-takes-all” affair for the top ranking. Three years later, history may repeat itself.
SinCaraz Rivalry
In an era obsessed with “who’s next,” the answer has been right in front of us all along.
Since the start of 2024, either Alcaraz or Sinner has featured in every Grand Slam final- an unprecedented streak of consistency and excellence. While Alcaraz edged their Roland Garros showdown in five sets, saving three championship points, Sinner responded with revenge at Wimbledon.
Now, the US Open provides the rubber match- and likely the final word on who owned the 2025 season.
The Battle for No. 1 Spot in World Ranking
Sinner has held top spot for 65 consecutive weeks since capturing it on 10 June 2024, becoming the first Italian World No. 1.
On the other hand, the Spaniard became the youngest World No. 1 in history after winning the US Open in 2022. Alcaraz was most recently World No. 1 on 10 September 2023 and he has spent 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings in his career. In 2022 he earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours.
Also Read: What Carlos Alcaraz Must Do To Surpass Jannik Sinner For No.1 Spot?
Jannik Sinner Vs Carlos Alcaraz In Numbers
| Category | Jannik Sinner | Carlos Alcaraz |
| Age | 24y 19d | 22y 123d |
| Slam Finals in 2025 | 4 (1 title) | 4 (1 title) |
| Career Slam Titles | 2 | 3 |
| Weeks at World No. 1 | 65 | 36 |
| 2025 US Open Sets Lost | 3 | 0 |
| H2H Record | 5 wins | 9 wins |
