Sinner's reaction to defeat shows why he and Alcaraz will rule

Italian has dominated all opponents except one but rivalry after US Open loss has led to plan for big changes

- Tumaini Carayol

In the 90 minutes between Jannik Sinner's defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final and his post-match debrief, his mind had already shifted. Rather than dwelling on the pain of losing his US Open title and No 1 ranking, he was thinking about the future.

Sinner felt his game was too predictable, even one-dimensional, compared with Alcaraz, whose deep toolbox of shots left him uncomfortable and unable to find rhythm on the court. As a result of that discomfort, Sinner made a decision. The 24-year-old resolved to make significant changes to his game in pursuit of becoming a better, more complete tennis player and keeping up with his rival, even if he might suffer in the short term.

"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," Sinner said. "Because I think that's what I have to do, trying to become a better player."

It was a remarkable admission, particularly considering Sinner's own dominance in recent years. Over the past 52 weeks, the Italian holds a 51-1 record against opponents not named Alcaraz and is 74-1 against everyone but Alcaraz on hard courts since November 2023.

He has spent the past two years destroying opponents, compiling 65 consecutive weeks at No 1. However, Alcaraz has now won seven of their past eight meetings. Only one player has forced him to make those changes.