Jannik Sinner continues to bring out the best in Carlos Alcaraz as the two duel in one Grand Slam tennis final after another.
Alcaraz, 22, spoke about their electric rivalry in an exclusive interview on TODAY on Sept. 8, one day after he captured his second U.S. Open title by beating Sinner in four sets.
“I think we push each other to the limit every time and my practices is just focused to see how I could be better just to beat Jannik,” the Spanish superstar said while sitting alongside the women’s U.S. Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka.
“That rivalry is special, splitting the Grand Slams, fighting for the great things, and then seeing that thanks to him I’m just a better player,” he continued. “I think the rivalry is great for that.”
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his second U.S. Open title after defeating rival Jannik Sinner. Jean Catuffe / Getty Images
Alcaraz beat Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City to reclaim the No. 1 ranking in men’s tennis and win the sixth Grand Slam title of his young career.
“It was a tough one obviously,” Alcaraz said about the match. “When I lost the second set, (I) tried to keep it going. When I had a chance in the fourth set, to be honest, I was shaking. I’m not going to lie.
“Thinking like, ‘OK, it might be this time, it might be in the fourth set,’ so my legs were shaking to realize that I had the chance to win another U.S. Open,” he continued. “It was tricky and difficult to control it, but at the same time it was a beautiful moment.”
The duo are the first men to face off in three straight Grand Slam finals in the same season in tennis history, according to The Associated Press.
“I’m seeing you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked to a smiling Sinner on the broadcast during the trophy ceremony. “It’s great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, to share everything with you.”
Alcaraz won an epic five-hour match over Sinner, 24, in the French Open final in June that some fans labeled the greatest men’s match of all time. The Italian star then came back and defeated Alcaraz for his first Wimbledon title in July. Alcaraz broke the split with the win at the U.S. Open.
In the first Grand Slam tournament of 2025, Sinner took home the title by beating Alexander Zverev of Germany to win the Australian Open in January.
Alcaraz has a 10-5 edge in head-to-head matches against Sinner. In the last two seasons, Alcaraz is 7-1 against Sinner. Against all other players in that span, Sinner is 109-4, according to The Associated Press.
The two rivals have thoroughly dominated men’s tennis, combining to win the last eight Grand Slam tournaments. They each have won four in that span.
Sabalenka has had an impressive stretch herself, as she is the first woman to win back-to-back U.S. Open singles titles since the legendary Serena Williams won three in a row from 2012-14.
“That’s insane to believe,” Sabalenka said on TODAY. “Not to compare it, but to be a little bit like close to Serena, that’s just crazy to process.”
Aryna Sabalenka reacts after winning her second straight U.S. Open title by beating Amanda Anisimova of the U.S.Jean Catuffe / Getty Images
Sabalenka finished the job in a Grand Slam final after falling to Madison Keys at the Australian Open championship and then Coco Gauff in the French Open.
Sabalenka also had to diffuse a backlash in June after she initially said that Gauff won “not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.” She followed with a message on Instagram clarifying that Gauff won because “she was the better player.”
The star from Belarus defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Sept. 6 to win the U.S. Open and capture the Grand Slam title that had eluded her this year. She now has four Grand Slam titles in her career.
“I had to learn really tough lessons earlier this season,” she said. “I think I needed to learn something about myself to go out at the U.S. Open and to bring the best tennis and to bring the best fight in the final and to control myself the way I controlled in this final. So it was tough lessons, but worth the feeling right now.”
Sabalenka has also become known for her dance videos on TikTok. Shortly after teasing in their joint interview on TODAY that she was trying to get Alcaraz to do a video with her, she shared one featuring her fellow U.S. Open champ. She also noted the two champions have the same birthday of May 5.
“I’m terrible at dancing, but I’m trying my best,” she joked on TODAY. “I always pick the easiest move, just so I look OK. You don’t understand how long it takes to take, like, these easy moves from me. You have to see the first try, it’s a disaster.”