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After suffering his seventh defeat in his past eight Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Carlos Alcaraz — a loss that also cost him the World No. 1 ranking — Jannik Sinner admits it’s time for a change.

The 24-year-old Italian fell in four sets to Alcaraz in the US Open final on Sunday and, reflecting on the trajectory of their rivalry, he vowed to shake things up. Speaking in his post-tournament press conference, Sinner acknowledged he had become too ‘predictable’ and stressed the need to evolve his game if he hopes to turn the tables.

“I was very predictable today on court. He did many things, he changed up the game. That's also his style of how he plays. Now it's going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” Sinner said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat. “That's definitely [what] we are going to work on. I'm trying to be more prepared for the next match that I will play against him.

“It also depends on how you arrive to play against Carlos. One thing is when the scoreline [or] matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, I didn't make one serve-volley, didn't use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.

“So I'm going to aim to maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying 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. At the end of the day, that's my main goal.”

Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Marat Safin were among the members of the ATP No. 1 Club who were in attendance at the US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Lendl handed Alcaraz the trophy after the Spaniard's triumph. The three-time US Open champion was seated just below fellow former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Stefan Edberg, a two-time US Open winner, during the match.

Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Only 29 players have reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings since 1973 and at least 12 of them are inside Arthur Ashe Stadium including Sinner and Alcaraz, who were playing a winner-takes-all match from which Alcaraz emerged as the new World No. 1.

Safin assisted with the coin toss and Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz's coach, was in the Spaniard's box.

Rafael Nadal headlined social media reactions to Carlos Alcaraz's US Open victory on Sunday, congratulating his fellow Spaniard on the title and his return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

"Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! Champion again ? of the @usopen and number 1! Congratulations on all the work behind this great season ?? 

¡Enhorabuena @carlosalcaraz! ¡De nuevo Campeón ? del @usopen y número 1!

Felicidades por todo el trabajo que hay detrás de esta gran temporada ?? pic.twitter.com/K6KTfmOwxm

Other stars who wished the Spaniard well include Rod Laver and Billie Jean King. View more social media reactions below.

Congratulations to US champ @carlosalcaraz, who would not be denied today in his enthralling rivalry with Sinner. Clocking up the majors - who can stop these two? Next stop @LaverCup - I cannot wait. ?

Carlos Alcaraz extended his Big Titles lead over rival Jannik Sinner by defeating the Italian in the US Open final on Sunday.

Alcaraz now owns 14 Big Titles — a combination of Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and Olympic singles gold medals — and has earned six majors, the second-most Slam trophies of any active player behind only Novak Djokovic (24). Sinner owns nine Big Titles.

Before the 2025 season, Alcaraz had never claimed more than three Big Titles in a season. The 22-year-old has now won five of them this year, including two of the four majors: Roland Garros and the US Open. He will also have opportunities to add Big Titles in Shanghai, Paris and the Nitto ATP Finals.

Big Titles Won: Alcaraz & Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz dislodged Jannik Sinner’s grasp on two of tennis’ greatest honours on Sunday afternoon in New York.

Clubbing double the number of winners as Sinner, the Spaniard delivered a classy all-around display to down his great rival 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and claim his second US Open title. As well as denying Sinner back-to-back crowns at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz simultaneously ensured he will on Monday replace the Italian as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, ending his 65-week reign.

CHAMPION AGAIN ? NUMBER ONE, ONCE MORE ??

Alcaraz triumphs in New York, lifting the trophy again AND reclaiming his spot as World No.1 in the PIF ATP Rankings with a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 win over Sinner ?@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/jKOqQMGS7E

Sunday’s championship match in New York was the third consecutive hotly anticipated Grand Slam final clash between Sinner and Alcaraz. True to form, the pair produced plenty of mesmerising rallies featuring ferocious groundstrokes and frequent forays to the net. Yet aside from the second set, when Sinner found consistency in his baseline striking to overwhelm his opponent and level the match, it was Alcaraz who maintained command throughout.

The 22-year-old outhit Sinner by 42 winners to 21 and dropped just nine points behind his first serve in a clinical two-hour, 42-minute display. Broken only once in the match, Alcaraz finished his US Open run having won 98 of 101 service games. He is the second Grand Slam singles champion to drop three or fewer service games en route to a title since 1991, after Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 1994 (103 of 106 service games won) and 1997 (116 of 118).

Carlos Alcaraz has sealed his return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since 2023 by defeating rival Jannik Sinner in the US Open final on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Spaniard will on Monday begin his fifth stint as World No. 1 and 37th week overall at the summit. Alcaraz jumped ahead of Sinner in the PIF ATP Live Rankings at the start of the tournament, piling on the pressure before confirming his return to No. 1 with a high-quality 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Italian in the final.

Carlos Alcaraz returns to World No.1!

In 2022, Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in the US Open final to claim his first major title and simultaneously become the youngest No. 1 in history at 19 years, four months. On Sunday, Alcaraz won another winner-takes-all clash — this time with Sinner — to return to No. 1 for the first time since 10 September 2023.

Sinner, who became the first Italian to reach World No. 1 on 10 June 2024, held the position for 65 consecutive weeks. His debut reign ranks as the fourth-longest in history, after Roger Federer (237), Jimmy Connors (160) and Lleyton Hewitt (75).

Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and iconic rock legend Bruce Springsteen featured in a star-studded audience for Sunday’s US Open men’s singles final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Joining them in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium were actors Ben Stiller and Kevin Hart, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, golfer Sergio Garcia and former F1 driver Sergio Garcia.

Bruce Springsteen at the US Open men's singles final. Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP.

Musician Shaggy, actor Ben Stiller, actor Christine Taylor, and musician Sting. Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

President of the United States Donald Trump was also in attendance. The championship match in New York doubles as a straight shootout for the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings. Alcaraz takes a 9-5 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into the clash, while Sinner is aiming to win a third major title of the season after wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has been pushed back until 2:30 p.m. from its originally scheduled 2 p.m. start time due to security measures in place.

"As a result of the security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats, we have pushed the start time of today’s match to 2:30 pm ET," the tournament posted on social media.

As a result of the security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats, we have pushed the start time of today’s match to 2:30 pm ET.

Sinner and Alcaraz are meeting for the third consecutive major final. They are the first pair to meet in three Slam men’s singles finals in a season in the Open Era (since 1968). 

Alcaraz saved three championship points to win the Roland Garros final, before Sinner earned revenge to claim the Wimbledon trophy. Alcaraz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 9-5.

Carlos Alcaraz was riding high Monday in New York.

The Spaniard, fresh off claiming his sixth major trophy at the US Open, enjoyed a rooftop photoshoot in front of the Manhattan skyline to celebrate his second triumph at Flushing Meadows. 

The 22-year-old became one of only three men in the Open Era to claim six Slam titles before turning 23, joining Bjorn Borg and countryman Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz achieved the feat by defeating rival Jannik Sinner, against whom he owns a 10-5 Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage.

Fans dreamt of a final between Alcaraz and Sinner inside Arthur Ashe Stadium and that is what they got. This was the pair's third consecutive major final, after Alcaraz won Roland Garros and Sinner earned revenge at Wimbledon.

Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Alcaraz was asked about his rivalry with Sinner on NBC's TODAY show, which he visited with US Open women's singles champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Ben Shelton is making headlines on and off the court, and this time, it’s for stepping into the role of reporter.

Just two weeks ago at the US Open, the 22-year-old American was caught off guard when his girlfriend, football star Trinity Rodman, put him on the spot during a press conference by teasing him about not hitting a serve above 135mph.

On Sunday, Shelton turned the tables. After Rodman scored both goals in Washington Spritis' 2-0 victory over Seattle Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League, Shelton seized his chance to ask the questions.

“First off, I wanna say great game, Trin. I got a couple questions,” Shelton said to Rodman, who couldn’t contain her laughter. “Two great combo goals today, it was really cool to see the assist. Could you talk about your dynamic with Croix Bethune and how you guys play off each other. It’s really cool to see.”

Rodman answered thoughtfully, but Shelton slipped in a playful reminder of the US Open cameo: “No, I’m going to keep it positive,” he joked, alluding to the pointed serve-speed question she lobbed his way in New York.

Carlos Alcaraz is in great position to claim ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time following his victory at the US Open.

Alcaraz did more at Flushing Meadows than lift the trophy and recapture World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He also took a commanding lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, the season-to-date standings, which serves as a measuring stick for the year-end No. 1 battle.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Alcaraz now owns a 2,590-point advantage over his chief rival, second-placed Jannik Sinner, in the Live Race. No other player is within 6,000 points of the Spaniard.

The US Open final was a big opportunity for Sinner to close the gap on Alcaraz and set the stage for an intense year-end No. 1 clash in the final two months of the season. Had Sinner beaten Alcaraz on Sunday, there would have been a 1,400-point swing in his favour.

Jack Draper announced on social media Monday that he will miss the rest of the 2025 season due to his arm injury. The lefty withdrew from the US Open after one singles match because of the same injury.

“Unfortunately the injury to my arm is something I have to rest and means I’ll be sitting out the rest of 2025,” Draper wrote. “It is very difficult for me to accept as I was building some incredible momentum this year and playing some great stuff.”

pic.twitter.com/NlLL1g8KSs

The Briton is ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but will not be able to make a push for his Nitto ATP Finals debut. Instead, the 23-year-old will focus on returning to health after a year in which he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.

“I’ve been through this before.. and I always come back stronger as I’m so motivated to fulfil my potential as a player,” Draper wrote. “Huge thanks to everyone who backs me to do well and supports me on my journey. Can’t wait to get back out there and give it my all. See you soon!”

Luciano Darderi added more hardware to his trophy cabinet Sunday, when he won the ATP Challenger Tour event in Genoa, Italy to build upon his already memorable summer.

The Italian, who won back-to-back tour-level titles in Bastad and Umag in July, arrived in Genoa following a third-round run at the US Open, where he fell to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Darderi dropped just one set across five matches in Genoa and raced past countryman Andrea Pellegrino 6-1, 6-3 in the AON Open Challenger Memorial Giorgio Messina final. Darderi is set for his Top 30 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings thanks to his effort in New York followed by his title run on home soil.

The 23-year-old has won three of his four ATP Tour titles this season. He also reached the third round at Wimbledon. Darderi’s triumph in Genoa marks his fourth Challenger crown.

It’s no secret that top ATP Tour players lean on data and statistical analysis to unlock marginal gains, and Casper Ruud did exactly that to claim the biggest title of his career at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid in May.

Ahead of his championship-match clash with Jack Draper, the Norwegian turned to ATP Tennis IQ powered by PIF, using the platform to study his opponent's game and spot recurring patterns in his clay-court play. By digging into Draper’s tactical tendencies, Ruud arrived on court with a clear plan and the confidence to execute it under pressure.

“His typical left-handed approach to the clay game is penetrating your opponent's backhand with [the] forehand,” Ruud said of Draper. “I tried to cover it as good as I can. That was something I really thought about going into the match. I think I was ready for it, which was really important."

Watch Casper Ruud explain how he uses ATP Tennis IQ powered by PIF

ATP Tennis IQ powered by PIF is an enhanced performance-analytics platform that delivers richer match data, advanced scouting, video breakdowns, and wearable integration, all in real-time. The tool is now available to more than 2,000 ATP Tour and Challenger Tour players, as well as ATP coaches, bringing elite-level analysis within reach across the professional game.

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from Spain’s upcoming Davis Cup second-round qualifier against Denmark, which will take place in Valencia from 12-13 September, due to fatigue.

The 22-year-old Spaniard defeated fierce rival Jannik Sinner in the US Open final on Sunday and simultaneously sealed his return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since September 2023. Alcaraz owns a 5-1 career record at the Davis Cup, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, having made his debut in 2022.

Jaume Munar, Roberto Carballes Baena and Pablo Carreno Busta have replaced Alcaraz and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina — who has also pulled out — in Team Spain’s lineup, which is led by captain David Ferrer.

Holger Rune headlines Denmark’s lineup, which also includes Elmer Moeller, August Holmgren, Christian Sigsgaard and Johannes Ingildsen.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has reignited his push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time in his career after a dazzling run to the US Open semi-finals.

With just two months remaining before the prestigious season finale, the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin is heating up. Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur also made gains during their campaigns at the year’s final major in New York.

ATPTour.com looks at the biggest movers in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 8 September.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 10th (2,705 points), +8
After a strong early-season that included titles in Adelaide and Montpellier, Auger-Aliassime looked well-positioned for a Nitto ATP Finals spot. A patchy mid-season dimmed these hopes, but his US Open resurgence has firmly put him back in the mix.

Juan Carlos Ferrero came up short in the 2003 US Open final, but he received the ultimate consolation prize one day later: his debut at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Spaniard rose to the pinnacle of the men’s game on 8 September 2003, but he began laying the foundations for that milestone the previous season.

Behind a run to the final at the 2002 ATP Masters Cup, now the Nitto ATP Finals, Ferrero finished that year at World No. 4. He fell one set shy of the trophy at the season finale in Shanghai (l. to Hewitt), but won four singles crowns in a breakthrough 2023 campaign.

Ferrero lifted his lone Grand Slam title at Roland Garros that season and also triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000s Monte-Carlo and Madrid. While he initially struggled to back up his French Open success, he rose to the occasion at the US Open — where had never been past the fourth round — to earn his status as World No. 1.

In a battling run to the New York final, Ferrero notched just a single straight-sets result in six victories. A four-set quarter-final win against 2001 US Open champ Lleyton set up a semi-final showdown with World No. 1 Andre Agassi, a marquee matchup that doubled as a shootout for the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz continued to add to his resume on Sunday with his second US Open title and his sixth major overall. It will not take the 22-year-old long to turn his attention to his biggest goal: completing the Career Grand Slam.

The Spaniard has claimed two crowns apiece at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The only major left is the Australian Open, where he will try to secure glory at the start of next season.

“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 said. “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.”

Alcaraz did more than lift the US Open trophy. By defeating Jannik Sinner, the 23-time tour-level titlist also recaptured World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings from the Italian. It is the new No. 1’s first time at the top of the standings since September 2023.

“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. “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.”

Clay tennis courts are a distinct surface type in the world of tennis, known for their unique playing characteristics and historical significance. These courts are primarily made from crushed brick, shale, or stone, which gives them their characteristic red or green color.Characteristics of Clay Courts Clay courts have several defining characterist...

The US Open is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, along with the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. It is held annually in late August and early September. History The tournament was first held in 1881, making it one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world. It was originally known as the U.S. National Championship and wa...