The US Open 2025
Hear it here!
Who would have ever guessed that a spectacular and memorable era in the world of tennis would be immediately followed by another.
But that’s the case with the fading out of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and the arrival of the remarkable rivalry of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The kids have replaced the vets and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.
The fourth and final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, concluded last weekend with another chapter written in what should be a phenomenal back-and-forth between the 22-year-old Alcaraz and Sinner, who turned 24 last month.
They now have played each other 15 times, with Alcaraz on top 10-5.
This time, the younger Spaniard prevailed over the Italian capping his second Grand Slam triumph in 2025, the other two won by the lanky redhead from Italy.
Alcaraz regained his status as the No. 1 player in the world, first achieved in 2022, beating Sinner who had been at the top of the heap. There is no faster and quicker tennis player ever than Carlos Alcaraz, the most exciting performer in the game who brings out the oohs and ahhs from the crowd wherever he goes.
No one covers the court in such lightning fashion.
He is the second youngest ever to win six Grand Slam championships, with Bjorn Borg being the other. He’s captured the French Open the past two years, Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, and now the US Open which he first won in 2022.
Sinner, meanwhile, defended his title at the Australian Open in January, was beaten by Alcaraz at the French Open after winning the first two sets, and rebounded to whip Alcaraz to become the first Italian to wear the crown at Wimbledon.
Yes, back and forth they’ve been.
To sum it up, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have combined to win the last eight Grand Slam championships in their sport.
Last weekend, Alcaraz was nothing short of magnificent in taking the title in four sets against his good friend, who, like the champion himself, is extremely likable and a wonderful gentleman who represent tennis proudly.
They both possess infectious smiles.
Sinner’s best set was the second, when he regained his powerful first serve and brilliant volleying skills to draw even (6-3) after a strong first set (6-2) by the golfing fanatic from Spain.
Then, Alcaraz had his turn to rally in the third (6-1) and kept it going until he ended it, winning 6-4 in the deciding fourth.
Many of the points were breathtaking to watch, featuring lightning-fast serves, and hard-to-believe forehand and backhand winners, bringing tennis to a new age.
They both used all the shots, especially disguised drop shots which saw the other manage to reach and then do some damage.
For sheer entertainment, it was the best of any sport. And, as referred to before, a Mano a Mano duel compared only to the heyday of boxing.
These two enjoy the game, their personal rivalry, and their life away from the court.
Alcaraz, in particular has become such an avid golfer, he went out and played often between matches at the Open, one time, playing in a foursome with Spanish great Sergio Garcia, in the stands for the final, and his coach Juan Carlos Ferraro, once No. 1 in the world himself, and a US Open finalist in 2003.
So, barring health issues, men’s tennis is in great hands for the next decade or so.
Not to be glossed over, is the continued presence of 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, the last of the gigantic three. Djokovic in the waning stages of a magnificent career can never be dismissed as a threat to reach a final in any Grand Slam event even though as John McEnroe noted on an ESPN telecast, “father time” is catching up. The wily Serb lost in straight sets to Alcaraz in the semifinals. In fact, Djokovic reached all four Grand Slam semis but failed to reach at least one final for the first time since 2017.
Aryna Sabalenka proved that the fourth time is a charm in finally winning the ladies title at the Open. She is the world’s No. 1 and had failed to take any of the first three Grand Slam events in 2025. The 27-year-old from Belarus ended the hopes of American Amanda Anisimova, winning in three sets although the match was not as close as the scores indicate. For Sabalenka, it meant back-to-back Open titles. For Anisimova, it showed a huge comeback from her 6-0, 6-0 whitewashing at the hands of Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. This time, Anisimova knocked off Swiatek, one of the top tournament favorites, in the semifinals. Good players always come back from the depths.
I was disappointed in the television coverage of the US Open.
Too much talk, especially during serves by a player. Too much talk about the pressure that was evident, remember what Billie Jean King said, “pressure is a privilege”, what the players were thinking as if anyone really knows. Too many low angle shots of a point which made it hard to follow and would be a bad seat if you were in the stadium. Too many irrelevant crowd shots, including close-ups of spectators and then a quick cut too late to see the next serve. I could go on, and I will in a future offering.
The one standout, as usual, was John McEnroe, maybe pound-for-pound, the best expert-analyst in any sport. His brother Patrick is also first-rate. The two of them are the best listen. Talk only about what’s necessary. Concise. To the point. Nothing more.
We couldn’t close without a reference to that incredible Bills-Ravens NFL opener Sunday night. Buffalo rallied from 40-25 down in the final 4 minutes to win 41-40. On Matt Prater’s field goal as time expired. Without quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills would have had no chance. That’s what a truly great QB can do and why top contenders have them. A huge disappointment for Baltimore, but by mid-season it will a mere blip.
It was only week one, but the biggest advantage for the Bills is that they now own the tiebreaker if these two meet again in the playoffs. It could very well happen.
But what a beginning to 2025.
