Carlos Alcaraz reaffirmed his ascendancy in one of tennis's most compelling rivalries, outlasting Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday to clinch the US Open title. The Spaniard's 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory not only secured his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam overall but also avenged the sole major final defeat he had suffered at the hands of Sinner just months earlier at Wimbledon.

With this win, Alcaraz will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner, stepping back into the coveted top spot on Monday for the first time since September 2023. His triumph also ended Sinner's impressive 27-match winning streak at hard-court Grand Slams.

Over the last eight Grand Slam tournaments, the pair have dominated, splitting titles evenly with four apiece, consistently outpacing even the likes of Novak Djokovic. Yet, while Sinner boasts a staggering 109-4 record against the rest of the tour over the past two seasons, Alcaraz remains his kryptonite.

In Sunday's final, Alcaraz imposed his aggressive baseline game early, pressing Sinner into retreat and securing a double break to close out the first set with authority. A mid-match lull allowed Sinner to rally, seizing the second set as Alcaraz momentarily faltered on serve. But the Spaniard's response was emphatic, breaking early in the third set and unleashing a jaw-dropping baseline smash that set up a 3-0 lead he never relinquished.

The fourth set saw Sinner stave off multiple break points, but Alcaraz's relentless pressure culminated in a decisive break in the fifth game, a momentum shift that sealed the match and further cemented his status as one of the sport's most versatile champions. By conquering hard court, grass, and clay, Alcaraz became only the fourth man to claim multiple majors across all three surfaces.

"I tried my best today. I couldn't do more," Sinner conceded, his words tinged with the frustration of a familiar script. Alcaraz had also bested him in a marathon French Open final in June. The head-to-head now reads a commanding 10-5 in Alcaraz's favor, including seven wins in their last eight encounters.

Meanwhile, Sinner's loss extends a curious Open-Era quirk: no man has successfully defended the US Open title since Roger Federer's five-year reign from 2004 to 2008.