Honestly, if you missed the final Sunday in Queens, you missed the moment the "changing of the guard" stopped being a cliché and became a cold, hard fact. Carlos Alcaraz didn't just win; he dismantled the world’s best hard-court player in front of a celebrity-packed Arthur Ashe Stadium. The final US Open 2025 scores tell a story of a 22-year-old kid from Spain who now has six Grand Slams and, more importantly, a second trophy from New York.
It wasn't even that long. Two hours and 42 minutes. That’s all it took for Alcaraz to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking.
The Men’s Final: Alcaraz vs. Sinner
Most people expected a five-set marathon. We’ve been spoiled by these two lately, especially after their battles at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier in the year. But Alcaraz had other plans. He came out swinging, taking the first set 6-2 like he was playing a practice match. Jannik Sinner, the defending champ and top seed, looked a bit shell-shook early on.
Sinner is tough, though. He’s the guy who hasn't lost much on hard courts in two years. He clawed back in the second, winning it 6-3 and becoming the only player in the entire tournament to actually take a set off Alcaraz. For a second, you thought, "Okay, here we go, five sets."
Then Carlos went into "video game mode."
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He broke Sinner immediately in the third. He hit this wild overhead smash—a "banana shot" from the baseline—that literally had Sinner staring at the sky. He took that third set 6-1. The fourth set was a bit tighter, but a break at 3-2 was all Alcaraz needed. He closed it out with his 11th ace.
The final line: 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Men's Singles Tournament Bracket Highlights
- Novak Djokovic: The legend made it to the semifinals, but Alcaraz stopped him in straight sets (6-4, 7-6, 6-2). It was the first time since 2002 that none of the "Big Three" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) made a major final in a calendar year. End of an era? Kinda feels like it.
- Félix Auger-Aliassime: A massive run for the Canadian, reaching the semis before losing to Sinner.
- The Qualifiers: We saw a record-equaling five qualifiers reach the third round, including Coleman Wong, the first man from Hong Kong to ever win a main-draw match at a major.
Sabalenka’s Back-to-Back Brilliance
On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka proved she owns the blue courts of Flushing Meadows. She’s the first woman since Serena Williams (2013-2014) to win consecutive US Open titles. Basically, if you hit the ball hard, Sabalenka hits it harder.
She faced Amanda Anisimova in the final. Anisimova was the underdog story of the year, entering as the No. 8 seed and knocking out stars left and right. But Sabalenka’s serve was just too much.
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Women’s Final Score: 6-3, 7-6(3).
It wasn't just the power, though. Sabalenka’s variety has improved so much. She was throwing in drop shots and coming to the net, things we didn't see from her two years ago. Anisimova put up a hell of a fight in the second-set tiebreak, but the outcome felt inevitable once Sabalenka got that early mini-break.
What about the Doubles and Wheelchair events?
The US Open 2025 scores weren't just about the singles stars. There was a lot of history made on the outer courts too.
- Men’s Doubles: Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos finally got their Grand Slam title, beating the British duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
- Women’s Doubles: Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe defended their crown, winning 6-4, 6-4 against Siniaková and Townsend.
- Mixed Doubles: This was a bit weird this year. They moved the mixed doubles to "Fan Week" and offered a $1 million prize. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori took the cash, beating Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud in the final.
- Wheelchair Tennis: Tokito Oda completed his career Grand Slam at just 19 years old, winning the men's singles. Yui Kamiji took the women's title after a brutal three-set comeback.
Why these 2025 scores actually matter for 2026
Looking at these results, the landscape of tennis has shifted. For years, we wondered who would replace the old guard. Now we know. It's the Sinner-Alcaraz show. They contested three of the four major finals this year.
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Alcaraz is now the youngest man ever to win multiple majors on all three surfaces (clay, grass, and hard). That’s insane. He’s 22. Most of us were still figuring out how to do laundry at 22.
If you’re looking for actionable takeaways from the 2025 season:
- Watch the serve speeds: The average first-serve speed in the men's top 10 has ticked up another 2-3 mph this year.
- The "SABR" is back: More players are attacking the second serve inside the baseline, following the lead of Alcaraz and Sabalenka.
- Fitness is the floor: You can't just be a "shot-maker" anymore. Every player in the quarterfinals was an elite-level track athlete.
Next year, the tour heads back to Melbourne. Sinner will be looking for revenge, and Alcaraz will be looking to hold onto that No. 1 ranking. But for now, New York belongs to Carlitos.
Actionable Insights for Tennis Fans
- Check the Rankings: Carlos Alcaraz officially starts his 37th week at No. 1 this Monday.
- Gear Up: If you noticed the equipment, many pros shifted to slightly heavier swing weights this season to handle the increasing pace of the game.
- Ticket Prep: If you want to see the 2026 US Open, the USTA usually opens the "Advantage" presale in late March. Set a calendar alert now because, after this year’s Alcaraz masterclass, they’re going to sell out faster than ever.
The 2025 tournament was the final one for director Stacey Allaster, and she went out on a high note. The prize money pool hit a record $90 million, and the attendance broke the million-mark for the first time. Tennis isn't just growing; it’s exploding.