Alcaraz’s mastery of Sinner, Sabalenka top dog: 2025 US Open conclusions

Oli Dickson Jefford 08 Sep 2025 11:30 AM

Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz lift the 2025 US Open titles.

The Grand Slam season is done for 2025, with the US Open bringing an end to the four majors this year.

After a slow start to both the women’s and men’s singles events, things picked up across the final few days, culminating in Aryna Sabalenka’s victory over Amanda Anisimova and Carlos Alcaraz wrestling the world No 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner.

With the dust settling on action inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium, here are our five big conclusions from singles action at the US Open this year.

Alcaraz deserves world No 1 ranking

It has been two years since Alcaraz was last at the top of the ATP Rankings, though his return to world No 1 is more than deserved.

The Spaniard has faced criticism with inconsistency in recent years, but 2025 has now seen him win two Grand Slam titles, reach three straight Slam finals, and a staggering nine ATP Tour finals overall.

Alcaraz has won more titles (seven) than he has lost matches (six) in 2025, and his rampant US Open campaign — where he dropped serve just three times in seven matches — showed how devastatingly good he is at the peak of his powers.

If the 22-year-old can continue his form from the past five months, it is tough to see who can stop him.

Sabalenka cements top dog status

The WTA ‘best player’ discourse would have been rife had Sabalenka not lifted the US Open title, with the world No 1 having been the strongest star of the season despite a lack of major success.

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But her impressive run to the title in New York, dropping just one set on the way, has silenced that debate before it was even able to begin.

Sabalenka’s four titles and eight finals on the WTA this year are leading figures in both categories, and her weakest Grand Slam result was a semi-final defeat at Wimbledon.

The first woman in 11 years to successfully defend her US Open title, Sabalenka’s status as the best WTA player right now is more than secure after winning her fourth Grand Slam singles title.

Sinner has an Alcaraz issue

Sinner’s rivalry with Alcaraz has been widely praised — and the two have contested some classic matches — though the head-to-head is only heading one way at the moment.

Since the start of 2024, Sinner has a staggering 109-4 record against players other than Alcaraz, though he is 1-7 down in his head-to-head versus the Spaniard.

His one win was significant, defeating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, but it is clear that when the chips are down, his opponent can find something extra more consistently.

Having lost his US Open title and world No 1 ranking, it is now time for the ‘predictable’ Sinner to reset and work out the Alcaraz puzzle.

Work for Swiatek and Gauff

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff’s US Open campaigns were hardly a disaster, with both women matching their exact results from twelve months ago.

However, the quarter-final and fourth-round defeats, respectively, highlight that they are still a little behind Sabalenka when it comes to Grand Slam consistency.

Swiatek has more Slams than Sabalenka (six to four), but does not go consistently as deep as her main rival — and fell back into her early 2025 ways during her quarter-final exit to Anisimova.

Gauff’s issue is more understandable, with the American now hoping Gavin MacMillan can help fix the serve and forehand that were problematic in her exit to Naomi Osaka.

WTA is healthier than ATP

The four Grand Slam tournaments all produced different WTA champions in 2025; Madison Keys at the Australian Open, Gauff at Roland Garros, Swiatek at Wimbledon, and now Sabalenka at the US Open.

However, all four beat top players on their way to the title, and behind the clear top three of Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff, there is growing strength and depth.

Anisimova has now reached back-to-back major finals, former world No 1 Osaka is back towards her best, and the likes of Mirra Andreeva have moved quickly up the WTA rankings.

All eight US Open quarter-finalists were former major champions or finalists, and the WTA is arguably in a healthier place than the ATP right now.

The closest player to rivalling Alcaraz and Sinner is a 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, who — despite his lingering physical concerns — is third in the Race to Turin, and back up to world No 4.

The likes of Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Jack Draper, and Holger Rune seem a way off the top two right now, and more ‘Sincaraz’ Slam dominance in 2026 looks likely.