Jannik Sinner says he is ready to take risks with his game—even if it means losing more matches in the short term—after falling again to his rival Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s US Open final.
The 24-year-old Italian, who dropped the final in four sets, admitted that he was too predictable against the Spaniard, who has now beaten him in seven of their last eight encounters since the start of 2024.
“I was very predictable today on court in the way of he did many things, he changed up the game,” Sinner said. “That’s also his style of how he plays. Now it’s going to be on me if I want to make changes or not. That’s definitely we are going to work on that.”
Alcaraz, who claimed his sixth Grand Slam title, produced a flawless tournament, dropping just three service games in seven matches and showcasing the best serving week of his career. By contrast, Sinner struggled to find his rhythm, landing only 48 percent of his first serves and winning just 69 percent of those points. He was broken five times in 17 service games in the final.
The defeat also snapped Sinner’s 27-match hard court Grand Slam winning streak, a run that dated back to the 2024 Australian Open. Between them, Sinner and Alcaraz have now combined to win each of the last eight Grand Slam titles—four apiece—cementing their rivalry as the defining one of this generation.
“I didn’t make one serve-volley, didn’t use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone,” Sinner reflected. “So I’m going to aim to maybe even losing some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.”
