‘Smiling’ Helped Carlos Alcaraz Conquer Nerves in US Open Final Against Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz took home his seventh title of the season by defeating Jannik Sinner to win his second US Open title.

‘Smiling’ Helped Carlos Alcaraz Conquer Nerves in US Open Final Against Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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Let the situation be anything, Carlos Alcaraz won’t forget to flash his signature smile even when he fails to convert three championship points in a Grand Slam final. He displayed flawless tennis when he faced Jannik Sinner in the US Open final on September 8, taking just two hours and 42 minutes to deny the Italian his second back-to-back title in the tournament.

It was Alcaraz’s second US Open title win after his triumph in New York back in 2022, which he won by beating Casper Ruud. That win helped him become the World No.1, and his latest win helped him reclaim the position by dethroning his arch-rival. During his interview with ESPN after the win, Alcaraz was asked how he managed to smile in that crucial moment when he failed to convert those championship points.

I was scared (laughs). I was scared. I’m not going to lie. But smiling…it’s something that helped me a lot to pull out all the nerves, and thanks to that, it seems like I’m having fun. I like this moment, I like the challenge, I like the most difficult moments in the match. I just like them. I face them like, ‘Okay, it’s going to happen.’ That’s why I smile, and that’s why, thanks to that, I just saw my best tennis in those moments.

Alcaraz added that as the US Open is the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, there will be only smiles and nothing to worry about. The new World No.1 has improved his head-to-head record over the World No.2 to 10-5, as well as improved his win-loss record this year to 61-6, with the US Open title being his seventh of the season.

Sinner has a 37-5 win-loss record, losing four of those matches to the Spaniard. The Italian’s title tally this season is two (Australian Open and Wimbledon).

Mats Wilander on whether Carlos Alcaraz can win 20 or more Grand Slam titles

Carlos Alcaraz has already matched the Grand Slam titles tally of greats of the game like Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. One more Major, and he will tie the tally with Mats Wilander.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via the US Open)

The Swede thinks Alcaraz can win and join the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic with 20 or more Majors. What Wilander finds ‘scary’ is that Alcaraz bagged his sixth Major at the age of just 22, the second youngest to do so after Bjorn Borg. Wilander told Eurosport:

He’s a great player, but he’s so nice, so humble, so youthful, and having fun all the time. He’s a great ambassador for our sport. He’s been with the same team since he was very young. I think he’ll win so much more. The question is, will he win as much as Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal? Will he win 20 Slams? There’s a good chance he will.

After his US Open triumph, Alcaraz withdrew from Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark. He is expected to feature at the Laver Cup next.

The singles tournament Alcaraz will play next is the China Open, where last year, he defeated Jannik Sinner in the final. Sinner and Alcaraz have become the first pair in the history of men’s singles to split the last eight Majors between them. It was their third straight Grand Slam finals against each other after the French Open (Alcaraz won) and Wimbledon (Sinner won).

The last player to clinch a Grand Slam title was Djokovic, who lifted the 2023 US Open and was defeated in the semifinals of this US Open by Alcaraz. Next year, the Murcia native will be focusing on completing his Career Grand Slam, which he missed this year after Djokovic knocked him out in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Also read: Rafael Nadal Says First Three Sets of Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz Roland Garros Final Were ‘Not High-Quality Tennis’