Boris Becker offered a blunt assessment after Jannik Sinner was unable to defend his US Open title, falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s men’s singles final. The loss cost Sinner the championship and allowed Alcaraz to reclaim the world No 1 ranking.

Becker pointed to a specific weakness that Alcaraz exploited throughout the match. “From the first minute to the last, Alcaraz was clearly better than all the other players and even better than Sinner,” said Becker. “In the final, he was clearly the boss. He played tennis from another planet and deserved to win the tournament.

“The big difference I noticed in this duel was on serve; Sinner was clearly weaker, and that’s unforgiving, if he has a real weakness, it’s this one.”

The defeat extended Alcaraz’s dominance in their rivalry: it was Sinner’s seventh loss to Alcaraz in eight meetings since the start of 2024, leaving Alcaraz with a 10-5 advantage in the head-to-head. During that period Sinner lost only four matches to players other than the Spaniard. Alcaraz’s victory also brought him level with Becker on two US Open titles and six Grand Slam trophies overall.

Becker said he had expected more from Sinner and felt the Italian had not advanced in the ways Alcaraz had. “I am one who always thinks to tell the truth. I was a little disappointed. I expected more.

“But of course I was not disappointed by Alcaraz. Because he really played tennis better today than a year ago. He had more variations, he had speed changes. He played serve volley. He played backhand slice. He played forehand where you don’t see the ball.

“And I think Sinner, for the first time, he stood still with his game. He is now predictable. You know exactly what always happens. And it’s not as bad that I see it that way. It’s worse for him that Alcaraz sees it that way.

“And I think for the first time that Alcaraz really took a step forward. And Sinner stayed the same. He partly didn’t know how to win the points. Except Alcaraz hit the ball.

“In his press conference after the match, Sinner, always said very honestly, that he [Alcaraz] has developed further in tennis and I have not. And I think it’s great that he says that. But that’s how I felt it.

“There was never a discussion for me, even after the second set, who would win this match in the end. And I didn’t see that in any other final between the two.”

Both players are scheduled to compete at the Shanghai Masters next month, where Sinner will aim to defend the title he won in 2024.

The 2025 US Open produced as many storylines beyond the finals as it did inside them. Across three weeks there were returns to form, stinging exits and a clear surge in interest for doubles.

Amanda Anisimova recovered impressively from her 6-0, 6-0 loss at Wimbledon to reach the semifinals in New York and climb to a career-high No. 4. By contrast Alexander Zverev, seeded No. 3, exited in the third round to No. 25 Felix Auger-Aliassime, extending his frustration at Grand Slams.

Carlos Alcaraz asserted himself in the semifinals, pulling away from 38-year-old No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic. Djokovic, a record 428-week world No. 1, returned to competitive form after Wimbledon and completed the full set of major semifinals in 2025, rising back to No. 4. Taylor Fritz, the defending finalist and No. 4 seed, was the only American man to reach the fourth round before a loss to Djokovic. Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton all fell earlier, with Shelton forced to retire in his third-round match due to a shoulder injury.

Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas disappointed, with Rune losing in round two to Jan-Lennard Struff and Tsitsipas losing to Daniel Altmaier after a heated postmatch exchange that included this line from Tsitsipas: “Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, okay? No, I’m just saying if you serve underarm. . .”

Felix Auger-Aliassime emerged as a major story, defeating Zverev and Alex de Minaur before his run ended in the semifinals. “Well, a lot of things,” FAA said. “A lot of things. because obviously there’s the level, like the way I’m serving, the way I hit the forehand, the way I’m moving around the court, the backhand too. . . I think on top of that it’s just, yeah, the belief, the mentality, the conviction in myself that I have what it takes to win these types of matches.”

Naomi Osaka reached her first major semifinal since 2021 and credited coach Tomasz Wiktorowski: “He’s like always very proud and encouraging,” she said of him. “I feel like it kind of creates a safe space for me to, like, you know, be able to express myself and my tennis.”

The USTA’s reimagined Mixed Doubles Championship and Fan Week drove attendance figures, with Fan Week drawing 239,000 and the mixed event bringing 78,000 over two days, helping push total attendance past 1,000,000. Joe Salisbury observed: “It (the singles star-studded Mixed Doubles event) got the fans engaged in watching more doubles. So I think for that part it was a good thing. For the event, the last sort of eight, nine days, I think it’s been good. More fans were coming to watch.”

Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open crown with a composed 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Amanda Anisimova, converting frustration into resolution after a season of near-misses. The world number one leaned into emotional control and steady aggression, producing a fourth major singles title and becoming the first woman to defend the US Open since Serena Williams’ 2012-14 run.

“Going into this final I decided for myself that I’m going to control my emotions,” she said after the final. “I’m not going to let them take control over me, and doesn’t matter what happens in the match.” Sabalenka’s improved defensive retrievals paired with her usual force helped her neutralize Anisimova’s power.

Anisimova’s comeback to elite contention remains one of the tournament’s main stories. Just over two years removed from stepping away from tennis to take college classes, she reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals. Her path included a quarterfinal win over Iga Swiatek and a dramatic semifinal comeback versus Naomi Osaka. “I’ve tried to turn everything around for myself,” said after the final. “Obviously today was better than my last final, but yeah, again, today was a really tough match.”

Osaka produced her strongest week since 2021, reaching the semifinals after a Labor Day round of 16 win over Coco Gauff. Greatly aided by her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, Osaka combined power with perspective. “Oh, my God, the most devastating question. . . Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man.”

Jessica Pegula reached the semis without dropping a set, beating Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova before succumbing to Sabalenka. “Considering where my summer started and how it was going, how it was trending, I’m happy to walk away with putting in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against, you know, the best player in the world right now.”

The draw showcased depth and variety: Czech players Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova and Karolina Muchova all reached the quarters, Krejcikova saved eight match points to advance earlier and Vondrousova later withdrew with a knee injury. Taylor Townsend, ranked 139, produced two signature wins and pushed Krejcikova to eight match points in the round of 16. “So I have everything that I need, and, you know, it’s just about now just keep getting the reps, keep putting myself in these types of positions,” Townsend said following that match. “This hurts, but it’s part of competition, it’s part of sports, but I’m right where I need to be.”