Over the course of a memorable 2025 season, the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry became must-see TV.
But the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry reached a new height after the two faced off for the third straight time in a major final at the U.S. Open this past weekend, a match won by Alcaraz in four sets.
The Alcaraz-Sinner final drew three million viewers, a sharp increase from the Sinner vs. Taylor Fritz final in 2024, and the most viewed men's U.S. Open final on ESPN since the 2015 final, which pitted 20-time major winner Roger Federer against 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, according to Flora Kelly of ESPN. That final drew 3.2 million viewers.
Alcaraz and Sinner, already viewed as the next generation's stars by tennis fans, became household names after an instant classic of a final at the French Open back in June, in which Alcaraz saved three championship points and stormed back from two sets down to stun Sinner in five hours and 29 minutes.
The two reprised their roles in the Wimbledon final, but this time Sinner exacted revenge with a four-set victory, a remarkable show of resiliency in light of his French Open shortcoming.
Then, Alcaraz and Sinner largely breezed through their respective quarters of the U.S. Open draw, and staged yet another entertaining final. While the final at Flushing Meadows perhaps lacked the theater of their most recent matchups, it had no shortage of stunning shots and physical rallies, which have become the hallmark of Alcaraz-Sinner showdowns.
Seeing as the two split the year's four Grand Slams to two victories apiece and stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world at the moment, it's perfectly reasonable to expect more installments of this rivalry in the majors in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner U.S. Open Final Lands in Federer-Djokovic Ratings Territory.
