Carlos Alcaraz final press conference: Everything Spaniard said after US Open triumph, from disagreeing with Jannik Sinner to celebrating No. 1 rank

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner convincingly to claim the 2025 US Open title, celebrating his return to World No. 1. The Spaniard also disagreed with his Italian rival’s views before outlining his pursuit of a Career Grand Slam.

On Sunday, September 7, Alcaraz and Sinner walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium for their seventh ATP Tour final showdown. Sinner, the defending champion, aimed to hold onto his crown, while Alcaraz looked to spoil the party and reclaim the World No. 1 ranking.

Much of the pre-match talk centered on whether Alcaraz could cut down the flair and focus on clean, clinical tennis to counter Sinner’s remarkable consistency. The Spaniard delivered just that, producing near-flawless tennis, in the presence of US President Donald Trump, to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

During his post-match press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was asked about how satisfying it was to beat Sinner and end his 63-week stay at the top.

"Well, it's great when you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year. It feels amazing. So, since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, it was one of the first goals that I had during the season just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as a No. 1," Carlos Alcaraz said.

He called reaching No. 1 again a 'dream,' adding:

"So for me, achieve that once again. It is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. This is everything I'm working for, and I'm really happy to be able to live these experiences."

After the final, during his press conference, Sinner admitted that he felt "very predictable" on court and stressed the need to add more variety to his game. Asked whether he agreed with that assessment and if he finds Sinner’s style easy to read, Alcaraz offered a thoughtful response.

First, the Spaniard made it clear that he does not see Sinner as predictable. Instead, he explained that their familiarity comes from playing so many matches against each other and from closely studying one another’s games.

"Well, I wouldn't say I read his game that he was predictable, but I know him. So it's been so many matches against him, as he said, as well, he watch a lot of my matches just to study my game. I do the same. I watch a lot of his matches, first of all because I love watching him play. I think it is unbelievable what he's doing. And secondly, it's because I love to study him, how he plays...," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz then acknowledged that even if certain patterns in Sinner’s game might seem familiar, executing against him remains a huge challenge.

"So I wouldn't say he's predictable, but I know his style. I know what he's going to do or his main weapons in his game. So I just try to be focused on that. But I mean, even though he could feel predictable, it's really, really hard to maintain their level and playing long rallies against him," he added.

In the latest ATP rankings, Carlos Alcaraz now leads the pack with 11,540 points while Jannik Sinner trails him with 10,780 points. There's a huge gap between them and the rest of the tour as No. 3 Alexander Zverev boasts 5930 points.

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Carlos Alcaraz speaks about his coach saying he played 'perfect' and achieving the Career Grand Slam in Australia

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open - Source: Getty

During the press conference, Alcaraz was told that his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, had described his performance as "perfect." Asked how he felt about that assessment, the Spaniard reflected on both his coach’s words and his own view of the match.

The 22-year-old expressed how much it meant to hear such praise from Ferrero, given the high standards his coach sets.

"Well, it's great when you make your coach feel that way, and it's not easy. He has a big status. He always, want me to play at my best. And not too many times, I would say he said that I played perfectly. So for me, it's a great win," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Notably, Alcaraz committed zero double faults and hit 42 winners to 24 unforced errors. In comparison, Sinner struck four double faults and hit 21 winners to 28 unforced errors.

The Spaniard then admitted he agreed with Ferrero’s evaluation, stressing that playing at such a flawless level was essential to beat Sinner and secure the title.

"But, yeah, he's right. I think I played perfect. So, I mean, I gotta say that if I want to win the US Open and if I want to beat Jannik, I have to play perfect. And I think, and I think he was right," he added.

With both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now just one major away from completing the Career Grand Slam, Alcaraz was asked how much of a priority it is for him to achieve that milestone at next year’s Australian Open.

Alcaraz admitted that winning in Melbourne is already a central target in his planning.

"Well, this gonna be great. I mean, it's my first goal, to be honest, when I just go to the pre-seasons to see what I want to improve, what I want to achieve. Australian Open is there. It's the first tournament or the second tournament of the year, and it is always there. The main goal for me is to complete the career Grand Slam or Calendar Grand Slam," Carlos Alcaraz said.

He then added that while he will push to complete the set as soon as possible, the exact timing is less important than ultimately achieving it.

"So it's gonna be great if I do first or second. For me, to be honest, I don't mind. I just wanted to complete it. Obviously, I'm gonna try to do it next year, but if it is not next year, hopefully in 2, 3, and 4. So I will try to complete it. If he does it first, it's a great achievement. But for me, all I want to think is to complete it, no matter when," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz is now a six-time Grand Slam champion. He is the second youngest male to achieve this feat. He also becomes the second player to defeat a World No. 1 in multiple Grand Slam finals, a feat last achieved by Rafael Nadal in 2008.