Jannik Sinner admits Carlos Alcaraz is "better"

(Dan Tri) - Jannik Sinner praised Carlos Alcaraz after the Italian tennis player lost to the Spanish tennis player in 4 sets in the US Open final that took place in the early morning of September 8.

Carlos Alcaraz cruised to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Jannik Sinner to claim his second title at Flushing Meadows and sixth Grand Slam of his career. The Spaniard also became only the third man in the Open Era to win more than one US Open singles title before the age of 23, joining legends John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.

However, this was also a memorable year for Sinner, when he successfully defended his Australian Open title and won Wimbledon for the first time. Speaking at the awards ceremony, the Italian did not hesitate to congratulate his opponent. Sinner said: "First of all, I want to start with Carlos and his team. You are doing great. Congratulations, I know your performance today was a process of effort, when he played better than me. So, congratulations, enjoy. This is a great moment."

Sinner and Alcaraz receive awards at the 2025 US Open (Photo: Getty).

Sinner also expressed his deep gratitude to his team: "And of course, my team too. Thank you for supporting me, for understanding me, for working hard. We all know how hard we have worked to be here, on this stage. It has been an incredible season, we have been through so many big stages and matches throughout the season."

He concluded: "I am so happy to share this moment with everyone, with my family, with all the people I love, my friends. I tried my best today. I couldn't have done more. So thank you for your support."

The defeat saw Sinner drop to No. 2 in the ATP rankings, passing Alcaraz to the top spot. Sinner's 27-match winning streak on hard courts at Grand Slams also ended, as the third major final between the two players again went in Alcaraz's favor. The pair have faced off in three of the four Grand Slam finals this year, with Alcaraz winning at Roland Garros and the US Open.

The head-to-head record is currently 10-5 in Alcaraz’s favour. The Spaniard will now look ahead to the Laver Cup later this month, which will see Team Europe take on Team World in San Francisco. Alcaraz will represent Team Europe alongside Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli, under the guidance of the legendary Bjorn Borg.

Sinner was unable to stop Alcaraz in the US Open final (Photo: Getty).

The world team, led by Andre Agassi, will consist of Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka, Alex Michelsen and Francisco Cerundolo. The European team, with Alcaraz, Ruud, Zverev and Cobolli, won last season's competition in Berlin 13-11. The Laver Cup will run from September 19 to September 21.

Tennis legend Rod Laver was also there to congratulate the US Open champion. Laver wrote on social media: "Congratulations to US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, who was unstoppable in his exciting encounter with Sinner today. Winning major tournaments - who can stop these two? Next stop is the Laver Cup. I'm looking forward to it."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/jannik-sinner-thua-nhan-carlos-alcaraz-gioi-hon-20250908083217198.htm