CARLOS ALCARAZ BEATS JANNIK SINNER AT THE U.S. OPEN FOR A 6th SLAM TITLE

Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over the defending champion, wrested away the top spot in the ATP rankings and left tennis fans eager for whenever their next clash will come. They are the first two men...

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So maybe the first U.S. Open final between young, elite rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner wasn't as long, riveting and dramatic as their matchup to decide the championship at the French Open.

Perhaps it wasn't as seemingly meaningful and plot-driven as their showdown for the Wimbledon trophy. Still, what the No. 2-seeded Alcaraz's 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 1 Sinner did was significant. Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over the defending champion, wrested away the top spot in the ATP rankings and left tennis fans eager for whenever their next clash will come. They are the first two men in the sport's history to face each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within a single season.

"I'm seeing you more than my family," Alcaraz joked during the trophy ceremony, eliciting a grin from Sinner. "It's great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, everything." This 2-hour, 42-minute win gave Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, a lead over Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy, of 10-5 in their head-to-head series, 6-4 in total Grand Slam trophies, and 2-1 in U.S. Open championships.

"I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did," said Sinner, who lamented that his own play was too predictable. "He raised his level when he had to."