How Alcaraz devised masterplan to dethrone Sinner after Wimbledon heartbreak

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz was crowned the World No.1 in men's singles after beating Jannik Sinner in the US Open final on Sunday, September 7. Alcaraz took apart Sinner at the Arthur Ashe Stadium and finished the game in 4 sets, in a battle that lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes. Speaking after the game, Alcaraz explained how he turned the tables on Sinner, who beat him at the last Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon.

Alcaraz was on song on Sunday, serving emphatically throughout the match. The Spaniard did not commit a single double fault in the entirety of the match, while Sinner fumbled four times. Speaking to the press after the game, Alcaraz revealed that the Wimbledon final is where he decided he needed to better his game if he is to beat Sinner.

Alcaraz said that he took a week off after the Wimbledon final loss and then dedicated two weeks specifically to work on things that would make him better than Sinner.

"Right after. Right after the match (Wimbledon Final). I thought that I need to prove some things if I want to beat him after the Wimbledon final. I took a week for myself after that. But after that I practised on the specific things that I need to improve to beat Jannik. So two weeks before Cincinnati, I only worked on things that I needed to beat Jannik," Alcaraz said in the post-match press conference.

US Open final: Sinner vs Alcaraz highlights

Sinner rued after the match that his game became too predictable against Alcaraz in the US Open final. However, the Spaniard countered that opinion and said that he simply loves watching Sinner play, and came into the game after watching a lot of his matches.

"I wouldn't say I read his game, that he was predictable... I watch a lot of his matches. First of all, because I love watching him play. I think it is unbelievable what he's doing..." Alcaraz said.

With the win, Alcaraz now leads Sinner 2-1 in Grand Slam finals. He beat Sinner previously at the French Open in 2025. Alcaraz also returned to the No.1 ranking after 65 weeks, which had been dominated by Sinner in 2024.