Carlos Alcaraz added a consequential line to his career record at the US Open, defeating Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture the title and reach a new landmark. At 22, Alcaraz is now the youngest man in history to win multiple Grand Slam titles on hard courts, clay and grass.

The Spaniard’s resume now includes two Wimbledon trophies on grass (2023 and 2024), two Roland Garros titles on clay (2024 and 2025) and two US Open victories on hard courts (2022 and 2025). With his Roland Garros triumph last year as a 21-year-old, he became the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces. The US Open win takes that achievement a step further: he is the youngest to have multiple majors on each surface.

Alcaraz joins an exclusive group as only the fourth man to finish with multiple Grand Slam titles on every surface, following Mats Wilander, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The comparison underlines the breadth of his success across different conditions and formats.

Historical context highlights how surfaces have evolved in the sport. The US Open switched to hard courts beginning in 1978, and the Australian Open moved to hard courts in 1988. Those shifts help explain how modern players build diversified major records across surfaces.

The final at the US Open also marked another milestone in Alcaraz’s tally of majors. He won his first Grand Slam title on hard courts and, with this victory, has now won his sixth major on hard courts as well. Alcaraz won the first and now the sixth Grand Slam title of his career on hard courts, at the US Open.

His victory over Sinner closed another chapter in a rapid run of major success and underscored how quickly Alcaraz has moved from promising talent to a player whose achievements are already being measured alongside some of the game’s all-time greats.

Carlos Alcaraz captured his second US Open title and reclaimed the world No 1 ranking with a dominant victory over Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz closed out the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, serving for the championship at 5-4 in the fourth set and converting the opportunity to confirm his return to the top of men’s tennis.

The final delivered a landmark payday. The record-breaking prize money at this year’s US Open made the title match the most lucrative non-exhibition match in men’s tennis history. Sinner took home $5,000,000 from the event, while the winner collected the largest single prize ever offered at a regular ATP Tour or Grand Slam event.

That $5m award represents a 100 per cent increase on the $2.5m Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu received when they lifted the US Open four years earlier, underlining the rapid rise in prize money at the top level.

Sinner had been unbeaten on hard courts since his defeat to Alcaraz last October, and the Italian’s run on the surface ended when Alcaraz produced a commanding performance. The Spaniard’s booming serve and aggressive forehand repeatedly forced Sinner out of position and out of his comfort zone.

“There was just too much pressure on Sinner – he cannot cope,” said former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli on the BBC. “Alcaraz makes you feel like it is possible to get a winner over him. The execution of the racquet is just extraordinary from the Spaniard. Sinner was feeling so much pressure from the back of the court.”

The financial context for Sinner is notable. He earned more in exhibition and season-ending events previously, including the Six Kings Slam exhibition where he beat Alcaraz last year and the $4,881,100 he collected when he won the ATP Finals in front of his Italian fans last November. Nonetheless, this US Open final remains the richest non-exhibition prize in men’s tennis history and a decisive moment in the Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner arrive at the US Open final with more than a title at stake. Beyond the Grand Slam crown, the winner will vault past the $50m career prize-money mark and become only the sixth player in history to do so.

Prize money on the ATP Tour has climbed rapidly in recent years, and the US Open has led the increases this season. The tournament has boosted payouts across the board: the men’s and women’s singles runner-up prizes rose by 39% and beaten finalists are scheduled to receive $2.5m. The champion’s cheque of roughly $5m will push either Alcaraz or Sinner over the $50m threshold.

That potential milestone comes as the two highest-ranked players on the men’s side continue a dominant run. Between them they have claimed the last seven Grand Slam singles titles. The current leaders on the all-time prize-money list remain Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, with Andy Murray in fourth, but Alcaraz and Sinner are closing in fast.

Alcaraz has been candid about his priorities. “I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” said Alcaraz.

“I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.

“The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”

Off-court, Alcaraz’s earnings are supplemented by a string of long-standing sponsors including Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein, Evian and Louis Vuitton. Sinner also benefits from lucrative agreements with Nike, Gucci, Rolex, Lavazza and Head. The draft notes that Sinner served a three-month ban earlier this year after a positive drug test; his commercial deals were not affected.

Whoever lifts the trophy in New York will move up the historical earnings rankings and underline how rapidly prize-money benchmarks are changing in men’s tennis.

All-time prize money winners

1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053

2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100

3. Roger Federer $130,594

4. Andy Murray $64,687,542

5. Alexander Zverev $54,455,659

6. Carlos Alcaraz $48,486,628

7. Daniil Medvedev $46,936,309

8. Jannik Sinner $46,279,987

9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489

10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708