How the United States has been Carlos Alcaraz’s heaven and hell
His season hit rock bottom in Cincinnati and took off from there, with 46 wins and just two losses in the finals since then.
What America takes away, it can also give back. Just ask Carlos Alcaraz. In the so-called “land of the free, home of the brave,” the Spaniard has experienced both the lowest point of his 2025 season and, months later, one of its greatest highs – winning the US Open final this Sunday against Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz, the USA and an incredible year
After falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, Alcaraz bounced back with the ATP 500 title in Rotterdam, defeating Alex de Minaur in the final. But between February and March his year hit an unexpected standstill.
Czech player Jiří Lehečka knocked him out in the Doha quarterfinals, and the Sunshine Double – the Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Miami – proved disastrous. Jack Draper stopped him in the California semifinals, and David Goffin sent him crashing out in the second round in Florida.
Yet that setback triggered what followed: a near-unstoppable torrent of tennis. Since that low point, Alcaraz has strung together 46 wins against only two losses, both in finals. The run has been dazzling: champion in Monte Carlo, finalist in Barcelona, champion in Rome, champion at Roland Garros, champion at Queen’s, finalist at Wimbledon, champion in Cincinnati and now champion at the US Open.
In total, the 22-year-old has 61 wins from 68 matches this season. His surge since Miami has also propelled him back above Jannik Sinner in the world rankings, reclaiming the No 1 spot after the Italian’s 65-week reign – a comeback that looked almost impossible after Alcaraz’s faltering start to the year.
These past weeks have also marked a reconciliation with the United States, a country that has always been fertile ground for him. There he has claimed two of his six Grand Slam titles and four of his eight Masters 1000s. In all, six of his 23 career trophies have come on American soil, living proof of the so-called “land of opportunity.”
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