Alcaraz vs Sinner: Who will challenge the dominance in world tennis?

Carlos Alcaraz is crowned champion of the US Open 2025! The Spanish tennis player, with a smile from ear to ear, celebrated his victory on the court, after defeating his rival, Jannik Sinner, in a final that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. The match, played in front of a crowd of 24,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium, was the culmination of a rivalry that has defined the tennis season. Alcaraz and Sinner, who are great friends off the court, played their third consecutive match in a Grand Slam final. The match, with sky-high ticket prices and the world number one at stake, ended with a victory for Alcaraz by 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and 6-4, securing his sixth Grand Slam title. The superiority of Alcaraz and Sinner in current men’s tennis is undeniable. Alcaraz himself joked during the trophy presentation ceremony, addressing Sinner: “I see you more than my family.” Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Alcaraz and Sinner. “We know they are the two best players in the world,” Djokovic commented, anticipating the final between them. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the semifinals with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Djokovic, visibly affected, admitted that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner in the Grand Slams would be a challenge. This season marked the first time since 2002 that no member of the “Big Three” (Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal) reached a Grand Slam final, indicating the beginning of a new era in tennis. Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last eight Grand Slam titles, split four each. The question that arises is: Will any other tennis player be able to win a Grand Slam in the near future, considering that Alcaraz and Sinner have not yet reached their full potential?

Two years ago, this question might have sounded far-fetched. At the end of the 2023 season, Alcaraz had two Grand Slam titles and Sinner had reached his first semi-final. Both players showed great talent, but they were not the undisputed favorites. Djokovic, on the other hand, had won three of the four Grand Slam titles that year. Djokovic, confident in his abilities, aimed to break the record for Grand Slam titles. Sinner, after losing to Djokovic in the ATP Finals, acknowledged that he needed to improve. Sinner won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, marking the beginning of the “Sincaraz” era. In 2025, Alcaraz and Sinner have faced each other in the last three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz won Roland Garros, and Sinner defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon. Together, they have faced Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev in the finals. Zverev, after losing to Sinner at the Australian Open, commented: “I don’t know if I will ever be able to lift the trophy.” Fritz, currently number 4 in the world, valued the progress of Sinner and Alcaraz, highlighting their constant improvement. “I think they motivate the rest of the players to improve, because they will have to improve a lot if they want to beat them and compete for the most important titles,” said Fritz.

Other players have also shown potential. In the seven Masters 1000 level events this year, Alcaraz won three, and Sinner missed four due to a three-month suspension. Other players like Jack Draper, Jakub Menšík, Casper Ruud, and Ben Shelton have also stood out. Shelton, 22, has won three titles in his career and reached two Grand Slam semi-finals. He is currently ranked number 6 in the world. Mary Joe Fernandez, ESPN analyst, commented that Sinner and Alcaraz will dominate the coming years, but that players like Ben Shelton could interrupt their dominance. Shelton has beaten Sinner once in seven encounters and has never defeated Alcaraz. He withdrew from his third-round match in New York due to a shoulder injury. Joao Fonseca, a Brazilian teenager, is also considered a future contender. John Isner believes Fonseca has the best chance to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner. “I think Fonseca can catch up to these players and enter the conversation,” Isner said. Fonseca, who debuted in the main draw of a Grand Slam this season, has lost in the second round in New York.

For now, Sinner and Alcaraz seem to be in a league of their own, with a difference of almost 5,000 points over Zverev, the world number 3.

During the US Open, both players demonstrated their dominance. Before the final, both had won at least 95% of their service games. Sinner won 42% of his return games, and Alcaraz, approximately one third. Each had three matches that lasted less than two hours. The US Open final was the second time in the Open Era that two men shared all the Grand Slam titles in two seasons, emulating Federer and Nadal in 2006 and 2007. In addition, they were the first pair in the Open Era to play in three consecutive Grand Slam finals in the same year, something not seen since Venus and Serena Williams in 2002. Tennis is an unpredictable sport. Medvedev, who seemed to be the successor to the “Big Three”, has struggled this year. Although Sinner and Alcaraz show no signs of decline, the difficulty of maintaining a high level is evident. Although Alcaraz and Sinner are the favorites, the future is uncertain. Just as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Juan Martin del Potro found a way to win in the era of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal, there is room for other players to shine. Patrick McEnroe predicts Sinner and Alcaraz will dominate in the coming years, but doesn’t believe they will win every title.