Jannik Sinner acknowledges the need to revamp his “predictable” gameplay to rekindle his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz following another defeat to the Spanish player at the US Open on Sunday.
As Alcaraz celebrated his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory, earning his sixth Grand Slam singles title, Sinner faced the reality of being dethroned as world number one by his opponent.
By the end of 2025, both Sinner and Alcaraz are expected to have two Grand Slam titles each, balancing their achievements at the sport’s highest level.
However, Sinner has lost seven of his last eight encounters with Alcaraz, with his sole win this year coming in the Wimbledon final in July.
This pattern of results, culminating in Sunday’s loss, concerns the 24-year-old Italian, who believes adopting a riskier, less “predictable” strategy is essential to keep up with Alcaraz.
“I was very predictable today. Alcaraz changed up the game,” Sinner told reporters.
“Now it’s up to me if I want to make changes. We are definitely going to work on that.
“I’m trying to be more prepared for the next match against him. It depends on how you arrive to play against Carlos.
“When past matches are comfortable, but you keep doing the same things, like I did, you reach a point against Carlos where you must step out of your comfort zone.”
Sacrificing for Improvement
Sinner is willing to sacrifice short-term results to develop a more versatile game.
“I might lose some matches moving forward,” he said.
“But I’m trying to make changes, aiming to be less predictable as a player, which I believe is necessary to become a better tennis player.”
Sinner noted that Alcaraz, who showcased an impressive variation in his game on Sunday, has improved since their Wimbledon encounter.
“He has improved,” Sinner said. “He was slightly better today, especially in serving.”
Final statistics confirmed Sinner’s observations.
Alcaraz served 10 aces with no double-faults and a 61% first serve, whereas Sinner managed only two aces, double-faulted four times, and hit just 48% of his first serves.
Adjusting his service game is a priority for Sinner moving forward.
“I’m going to tweak a few things on the serve, small changes that can make a big difference,” Sinner said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
