New York – Carlos Alakraj threw his hands into the air, before a wide smile spread to his face and he fell down on his knees. He won only 2025 US Open titlesIn front of a fascinated crowd of 24,000 at Arthur Ash Stadium. But his real celebration could wait.
Before something else, he needed to embrace and greet his rival Jannik Papir. The pair – from the terrible but real friends of rivals in court – all were smiles and praise as they met on the net. They then left court with their arms wrapped on each other’s shoulders in a show of real praise.
This was the third direct meeting between the two in a major final, and Sunday’s final was a one-way match with ticket prices and world number 1 rankings on line.
Finally, it was Alakraj who surprisingly won 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 for his sixth major title.
But no matter who won on Sunday, it was clear that it was going to the match that men’s tennis currently had two categories: Cinner and Alakraj, and all others.
“I am watching you more than my family,” Alakraj joked during the trophy ceremony because he saw the sinner.
After winning his quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic, a 24 -time prominent champion, who spent more weeks at number 1 than anyone in history, admitted that it would be difficult to defeat Alkaraz in the semi -finals and then there would be a challenge if he was facing a sinner in the final. But he looked optimistic.
“We know that he is the two best players in the world,” he told reporters. “Everyone probably expects and guessing the finals between them. I am going to try, you know, mess up most people’s plans.”
Three days later, Alakraj mostly defeated Djokovic in a unilateral relationship, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2, to proceed to the finals. Djokovic’s death was particularly transferred, and he did not resign from his fate when he was removed again, speaking to the media.
“It will be very difficult for me to remove the obstacle of a sinner in the future [and] Alakraj, best in five [in] Grand Slams, “Djokovic said flatly.
On Sunday, the first season was officially marked after 2002, where any member of Big Three – Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – reached a major final. But it is clearly clear that a new era of dominance is on us, and the baton has been passed. And while other players may not have the same physical concerns or limitations, which are in the long matches of 38 -year -old Djokovic, the new Big to hurdle is real for every player on a hurdle tour. After Alakraj’s victory over Ash, the pair have combined to win the last eight big companies – every slam since the start of the 2024 season. And the title is equally divided between them, four episters.
So now, only with hyperbole, the question is: Since neither 22 -year -old Alakraj or 24 -year -old sinner is likely to be at his peak, can any other person win a major in the near future?
Two years ago, this question seemed far -fetched. Even the lewd. At the end of the 2023 season, Alkaraj had two major titles and Papi had reached his first slam semi -finals in that season, but was yet to win a title. Both his talents were clear, and his roof was infinite, but was neither given to contest elections for every title.
On the other hand, Djokovic won three of the four slam titles of the year and did not show any signs of slowing down. At the end of the year, in the ATP final, in which he won, he was confident in his abilities to break the all-time major records and then to break some in 2024.
“Well, you can win four slams and an Olympic gold,” Djokovic said when asked about his goals for the upcoming season.
After talking during the first season that he preferred to “opportunity in his Grand Slam, against anyone on any surface, five-five,” it seemed that he thought that they were more than the ambitions. Sinner, Joe Djokovic defeated the ATP final title, called him a “best player in the world”.
But he vowed to learn from experience.
“I think today I generally saw that I still have to improve, of course,” said the sinner at that time. “I am confident that he makes me a better player, as if all other players have lost. I have to work on it now.”
Sinner won its major title at the Australian Open two months later – to start the 2024 season and officially unveil the “Sinsaraz” era of dominance.
In 2025, Alakraj and Papi have faced each other in the last three slam finals. Alkaraz won the French Open in a dramatic return, and Cinner laid Alkaraz’s bid for three-peers in Wimbledon in four sets. During the last eight major companies, he collectively faced four other opponents in the final: Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Daniel Medvedev and Alexander Zerev (twice).
After losing Zeverev in straight sets to the Sinner at the Australian Open in January, he commented to the crowd, “I don’t know if I will ever be able to pick up the trophy.”
Fritz, the current World No. 4, which fell into a straight set for sinners in the 2024 US Open final, at this stage was practical in his assessment of sinners and Alakraj.
At the beginning of the tournament this year, Fritz said, “Both of them have improved a lot.” “I mean, you will expect it because both of them are small, so they are still improving, getting better. They have made a big progress to become very clear, prominent players in the last two years.
“I think they inspire the rest to improve, because if you want, you are going to improve a lot, you know, defeat them and struggle for the biggest titles.”
And some others have really shown the glow of the promise. This year in seven masters 1000-level programs, Alakraj has won three (and sinners). Four of them were sidelined for As he served three months of suspension) but four other players-Jack Draper, Jakub Manis, Casper Rood and Ben Shelton-have won.
22 -year -old Shelton has now won three career titles, including last month’s Canadian Open, and has reached a major semi -finals twice, including in Melbourne early this year. She currently holds the number 6 career-high ranking.
“I think now those two people, for the next few years, who are to defeat, [but] Anyone like Ben Shelton can disrupt him, “Former World No. 4 and current analyst Mary Joe Fernandez said.” I am really happy with his progress, seeing him developing as a player. I still feel that they have improved a lot to go.
,[Shelton] Are weapons. He is an entertainer, another player who really has fun there. If he continues on this path of improvement, he can be someone who can disrupt him. I mean something else [players]Sure. But this is going to be difficult because these people have really raised the bar very high. ,
Shelton has beaten the sinner only once in seven meetings and has never defeated Alakraj. He was forced to retire from his third round match in New York due to a shoulder injury.
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who is currently at number 44, is another name that is often mentioned as a future contender and is someone who one day can knock Sinner and Alakraj with their shared leaflets. Former world number 8 John Isner, who spent the entirety of his career with “Big Three”, believes that Fonsika has the best opportunity to challenge the pair to anyone.
“I know that we pump Fonseca a lot, but for the health of our game, and I really believe it, I am going to say yes. He can catch these people and go into conversation,” Israr said nothing on the podcast “Nothing in this summer. “I am not saying that it is next year or after the year, but in the next four or five years he can be in conversation where he is one of the top four favorite to win each slam that he enters.”
Fonseca, who started his main main draw this season and reached the third round in the French Open and Wimbledon, has not yet faced any player. He lost in the second round in New York.
So, for now, sinners and Alakraj appear in their own league. There is a difference of about 5,000 points between the pair and number 3 Zerev-and the rest of the area in the ranking.
Opened all over America, both were prominent in blisters. After going into the final, both won at least 95% of their service game – 98% with Alakraj and all but two wins. Sinner won 42% of his return games, with alkaraz about one third. Each had three matches in their respective runs which lasted for two hours or less. The sinner handed over to Alexander Bublike, number 23 seed, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in only 81 minutes, a shell-shown, but the happy Bublike congratulated him on the net saying, “You are so good. I am not bad, like F —?”
Opponents of Alkaraj also had similar feelings. “I would just say that I think today I met Carlos’s Grand Slam version,” said Leheka, the number 20 seeds after the loss of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. “This is the way how I would like to think about it, because yes, it’s a difficult match.”
After meeting in the final of Sunday, it marked the second time in the open era that two people were responsible for all major titles in two sessions, joining Federer and Nadal in 2006 and 2007. The pair became the first male in the open era to play in three consecutive major finals during the same calendar year.
Of course, tennis can be a playful game and things can change quickly. For many years, Medvedev appeared among clear heirs to change the next big thing and Big Three. He r But this year, he won only one match in a slam and was upset in the French Open, in Wimbledon and in the US Open during this fortnight.
While Medvedev can certainly change things in 2026-and sinners and Alakraj have not shown any signs of future recession-the current struggle of 29-year-old is only proof of how difficult it is to maintain such a high level in an expanded period.
At this point, while the pair is to move forward about everything about their own and clear favorite in a category, it is anyone to guess what will happen. And like Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro found a way to win the largest stages in the era of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, there is also a place for someone else in the current tennis ecosystem.
Former US Open Quarter Finalist and ESPN Broadcaster Patrick Mechano said, “I think there will be sinners and Alakraj in the next three, four years.” “Do I think they are going to win everyone? No.”
