Jannik Sinner enjoyed a remarkable Grand Slam season in 2025 as he won two titles and finished runner-up in the other two finals, but he admits his loss in the US Open showpiece match to Carlos Alcaraz will lead to change.
Sinner started the tournament at No 1 in the ATP Rankings, having sat at the top since June 2024, but his run came to an end after Alcaraz produced a clinical display at Flushing Meadows, securing a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory to win the US Open final and move to six Grand Slams.
With the win, the Spaniard also replaced Sinner at No 1 in the rankings and many feel he could now go on to dominate men’s tennis.
But Sinner is ready for the challenge as he revealed in his post-match press conference that he will need to make changes to his game if he is to beat his great rival, even if it means losing some matches along the way.
Full Jannik Sinner press conference after US Open final:
Q: Hey, Jannik, well done this tournament. How was Carlos different today than the player that you have faced in the past, even as recently as Wimbledon?
Jannik Sinner: “Oh, no, he has improved. I felt like was a bit cleaner today, you know, the things that I did well in London, he did better today and you know, that’s the result. So, you know, I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving both sides, both swings, very clean and yeah, I think that’s it.
“You know I’ll give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did and he raised his level when he had to. And so, yeah, I mean, I’m still proud of myself about, you know, the season I’m playing and making, but he played better than me today.”
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Q: Jannik, when you think about that season that you just referenced that you said you’re proud of, what are your thoughts looking ahead to where this rivalry can go?
JS: “Well, you know, I was very predictable today, you know, on court in a way of. He did many things, he changed up the game. That’s also his style of how he plays now it’s gonna be on me if I want to make changes or not, you know, so that’s definitely, we are gonna work on that. Trying to be more prepared for the next match, what I will play against him.
“It also, I feel like, depends how you arrive to play against Carlos. You know, one thing is when the scoreline matches before it’s comfortable. But you always do the same things, you know, like I did, for example, during this tournament.
“I didn’t make one volley, you know, I didn’t use a lot of drop shots. And then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos when, where you have to go out of the comfort zone so I’m gonna aim to, you know, maybe even losing some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player and because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.
“At the end of the day, that’s my main goal. I think that’s it. But overall, you know, the season result-wise, amazing, four Grand Slam finals in the year, two Grand Slams won, two times lost in the final. It’s incredible results. So I’m very happy and now we try to finish the year as strong as we can.”
Q: Jannik obviously there was a significant delay to the start of the match today. I wonder what your experience of that was in terms of how you dealt with it, how you received the news, kind of what that was like.
JS: “It was fine. They told us in a huge amount before that it might start at 2:30, so we were not warming up twice, it was all fine.”
Q: How would you describe the biggest difference in facing Carlos versus facing other players?
JS: “Well, we have maybe more history also in back of us so every match is different. He’s just a different player; it’s very simple. He’s, he doesn’t have weaknesses, for example, which maybe some players have weaknesses then you try to play tactically in a way, but I feel like mostly we have some history, some head-to-head, some different surface battles now, and I think that makes it quite, quite interesting.”
Q: Normally for a Grand Slam final, you’d walk out and the stadium would be full, obviously with people queuing outside. That wasn’t the case today. I just wondered how kind of disappointing was that if you looked up and saw empty seats for the first set?
JS: “You know, I wasn’t actually realizing it that much. I felt like it was still very loud. I saw some empty seats, but I had no doubts that they’re gonna, they are gonna be full and packed. But, you know, it’s not a thing where I was like worried, you know, that no people will come. It was an amazing atmosphere.”
Q: How much do you think that you can change your sort of practice habits and your training habits to do things that are specific to playing Alcaraz in the future? How much can you sort of reprogram a bit of your.
JS: “I don’t think it’s gonna be specific for Carlos. I think it’s specific for me, trying to get better, I think it’s that. As I said, I feel like today he was cleaner than I was, that what I did great in London, he did the same to me here.
“It’s a little bit like that for sure. Serve today was not on point, I felt that was I was struggling a lot today, but it was already struggling during the tournament. But it takes time. You know, one secret is also patience. It’s not like from now and then in Beijing, I’m gonna be a lefty, so let’s see. It’s gonna take time. And then we see. Look, maybe it’s just a small thing. Maybe I can change big. I don’t know. So let’s see.”
Q: You mentioned that playing Carlos is an additional challenge because he’s so different from playing everyone else. Is it also hard because you tend to not have really tough matches? I know that they’re hard to win always, but, you know, you didn’t drop a set reaching the French Open final. Does that make it hard as well, coming into a huge match when you haven’t been properly tested going in?
JS: “I said, you know, the match against Felix was good for me, because you have these moments where you get tested also emotionally a little bit. But I don’t think it’s only if you get tested or not. It’s, as I said before, how much of a game style you put in also to arrive to that point, and I’m a very, very solid, you know, baseliner. I’m a very strong hitter. I’m a good player, but sometimes adding just something.
“I think that’s gonna make a difference from my personal point of view, that I can say that I’m gonna become a better tennis player and I’m gonna change a couple of things on the serve, just small things, but, they can make big differences and then we see how it goes.
“You know, I’m looking forward to play these matches again, something new is now that I’m not number one anymore so you know, this also changes a little bit that you. You chase, it’s different.”
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