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.

Aryna Sabalenka entered the 2025 North American hard-court swing under pressure but closed the series firmly at world No 1 after successfully defending her US Open crown. The swing consisted of six tournaments — the Citi DC Open, Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, Monterrey Open, Tennis in the Land and the US Open — and ran from July 21 in Washington DC to September 8 at Flushing Meadows.

Six different champions emerged: Leylah Fernandez won in DC, Victoria Mboko lifted the trophy in Montreal, Iga Swiatek triumphed in Cincinnati, Diana Shnaider prevailed in Monterrey, Sorana Cîrstea took the Cleveland title and Sabalenka claimed New York.

Sabalenka’s US Open defence preserved her top ranking despite skipping Canada and an early exit in Cincinnati. She began the swing with a 4,751-point lead over Coco Gauff and finished with a 3,292-point advantage. The WTA rankings after the swing list Sabalenka on 12,420 points, Coco Gauff 7,669, Iga Swiatek 6,813, Jessica Pegula 6,423 and Mirra Andreeva 5,163, with others including Zheng Qinwen, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Paola Badosa rounding out the top 10.

Coco Gauff returned to No 2 after winning Cincinnati and advancing to the US Open quarter-final. Amanda Anisimova climbed three places to a new No 4 after following her Wimbledon runner-up finish with a run to the US Open final; Jessica Pegula dropped three spots.

There were notable moves further down the board. Naomi Osaka rose 37 places to No 14 after finishing runner-up in Montreal and reaching the US Open semi-final. Mboko rocketed from No 88 on July 21 to No 23, collecting 1,000 points for her Montreal title, then skipped Cincinnati and lost in the first round at the US Open (+65). Emma Raducanu moved up 12 places to No 34 after a Washington DC quarter-final and a series of third-round exits. Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova also climbed significantly following strong US Open runs. Alex Eala became the first Filipino woman to win a Grand Slam singles match, then won a WTA 125K in Mexico and rose eight places to No 61.

The North American swing reshaped several rankings while confirming Sabalenka’s hold on the top spot.

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.”