'Don't be afraid' - how 'faultless' Alcaraz beat Sinner

Before the US Open began, Carlos Alcaraz was asked to write a message to himself on a slip of paper.

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The Spaniard scribbled: "Go for it. Don't be afraid."

Handed the paper, external after his stunning performance to beat Jannik Sinner in the final, securing a sixth Grand Slam title and the world number one ranking in the process, Alcaraz smiled and said: "I think that's something I did today".

The Alcaraz that turned up to the New York final was a different beast to the one that lost in the Wimbledon showpiece in July.

The 22-year-old said he went back and studied his Wimbledon loss to learn what he needed to do to beat Sinner.

And it worked - he produced what coach Juan Carlos Ferrero described as "a perfect performance" to clinch a second US Open title.

"This is best tournament so far that I have played," Alcaraz said.

"The consistency of my level during the whole tournament has been really high, which I'm really proud of.

"The three weeks I spent here are a privilege."

'Not a single human can reach that level' Put Alcaraz on the biggest stages and he thrives. It is where he belongs and where he has ended up time and time again in 2025.

Since April, he has reached eight finals in a row across three different surfaces, winning six of them.

Victory over Sinner extended his winning streak to 13 matches. He has lost just one match since May and that was to Sinner in the Wimbledon final.