Jannik Sinner entered the US Open as the defending champion and world top-ranked player, but on Sunday night in New York, he walked away with neither crown.
Beaten in straight sets by Carlos Alcazar, the Italian not only surrendered his title but his No 1 ranking and lessons rather than trophies.
Alcazar was simply good in the finals, striking 42 winners to Sinner’s 21 and conceding 9 points behind his first serve in a 2-hour and 42-minute display.
Alcazar the Spaniard, who has now beaten Sinner in 10 out of their 15 meetings, handled the occasion with maturity beyond his years. At the same time, Sinner admitted that his rival was ‘a bit cleaner’ & ‘raised his level when he had to’.
Yet for Sinner, the loss was more than just a score line.
“Something new is now, I’m not No 1 anymore, so it also changes a little bit, you start chasing again,” he said.
Throughout the tournament, Sinner had relied on his familiar patterns, avoiding risks such as serve-and-volley or frequent drop shots, and while those tactics had carried him to the finals with just two sets dropped, they proved insufficient against Alcazar’s varied serve and power.
Sinner knows the path forward will not be easy.
“I am going to aim to lose maybe some matches from now on, but will try to make a few changes,” he explained, determined to push beyond his comfort zone.
For the 24-year-old, this defeat may have cost him the title, but it also provided clarity to evolve himself into a new version of himself.
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