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Auger-Aliassime boosts Turin qualification hopes with US Open run

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Felix Auger-Aliassime has reignited his push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time in his career after a dazzling run to the US Open semi-finals.

With just two months remaining before the prestigious season finale, the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin is heating up. Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur also made gains during their campaigns at the year’s final major in New York.

ATPTour.com looks at the biggest movers in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 8 September.

It All Adds Up

Felix Auger-Aliassime – 10th (2,705 points), +8
After a strong early-season that included titles in Adelaide and Montpellier, Auger-Aliassime looked well-positioned for a Nitto ATP Finals spot. A patchy mid-season dimmed these hopes, but his US Open resurgence has firmly put him back in the mix.

The 25-year-old Canadian earned consecutive wins over third seed Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and De Minaur to reach the semi-finals, leaving him just two places shy of qualification in the Live Race.

View the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Novak Djokovic – third (4,180), +2
Novak Djokovic continued his ultra-clean Grand Slam season, advancing to a fourth straight major semi-final in New York before bowing out to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. The 38-year-old Serbian joined Jannik Sinner as the only men to reach the semi-finals at all four majors this year.

The record seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, who also won his 100th tour-level trophy this year in Geneva, climbed two spots to third in the Live Race.

Alex de Minaur – seventh (3,145), +1
Last year, De Minaur made his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, becoming the first Australian to qualify since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Following his run to the US Open quarter-finals this year, the 26-year-old looks in good standing to return to Turin. De Minaur, who won his first title of the season in Washington in July, boasts a Tour-leading 28 wins on hard courts in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Lorenzo Musetti – eighth (3,070), +1
After a slow start to the North American swing, Lorenzo Musetti turned things around in New York by reaching his first major quarter-final on hard courts. With the breakthrough, the 23-year-old is back inside the qualification spots for Turin, where he is aiming to make his debut. Musetti holds a 30-13 record this season, highlighted by semi-final appearances at all three-clay court ATP Masters 1000 events and Roland Garros.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, taking place from 9-16 November at Inalpi Arena in Turin.

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On This Day: Ferrero debuts at No. 1 after Agassi shootout at US Open

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Juan Carlos Ferrero came up short in the 2003 US Open final, but he received the ultimate consolation prize one day later: his debut at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Spaniard rose to the pinnacle of the men’s game on 8 September 2003, but he began laying the foundations for that milestone the previous season.

Behind a run to the final at the 2002 ATP Masters Cup, now the Nitto ATP Finals, Ferrero finished that year at World No. 4. He fell one set shy of the trophy at the season finale in Shanghai (l. to Hewitt), but won four singles crowns in a breakthrough 2023 campaign.

Ferrero lifted his lone Grand Slam title at Roland Garros that season and also triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000s Monte-Carlo and Madrid. While he initially struggled to back up his French Open success, he rose to the occasion at the US Open — where had never been past the fourth round — to earn his status as World No. 1.

It All Adds Up

In a battling run to the New York final, Ferrero notched just a single straight-sets result in six victories. A four-set quarter-final win against 2001 US Open champ Lleyton set up a semi-final showdown with World No. 1 Andre Agassi, a marquee matchup that doubled as a shootout for the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings.

With his 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory against the home favourite, Ferrero was guaranteed to leave New York as the new No. 1.

“I worked a lot for this No. 1,” said the Spaniard, who played four matches in four days to close out his rain-affected US Open campaign. “I’m really happy to be No. 1.”

During his eight weeks at the pinnacle, Ferrero lived up to his billing as the game’s best by winning the Madrid title. His run was ultimately ended by Roddick, who made his No. 1 debut in November.

Learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club

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Alcaraz turns focus to Career Grand Slam: 'It's my first goal'

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz continued to add to his resume on Sunday with his second US Open title and his sixth major overall. It will not take the 22-year-old long to turn his attention to his biggest goal: completing the Career Grand Slam.

The Spaniard has claimed two crowns apiece at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The only major left is the Australian Open, where he will try to secure glory at the start of next season.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest. When I just go to the preseason to [see] what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there,” Alcaraz said. “It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a Career Grand Slam, Calendar Grand Slam. So it’s going to be great.”

Alcaraz did more than lift the US Open trophy. By defeating Jannik Sinner, the 23-time tour-level titlist also recaptured World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings from the Italian. It is the new No. 1’s first time at the top of the standings since September 2023.

“Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, it was one of the first goals that I had during the season, just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as the No. 1,” Alcaraz said. “For me, achieving that once again, it is a dream. Doing [it] in the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. It’s everything I’m working for, and I’m really happy to be able to live these experiences.”

Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, always tries to extract the maximum from his charge. But even the former World No. 1 said Sunday evening on multiple occasions that Alcaraz played the “perfect” match against Sinner.

“He always wants me to play at my best, and not too many times I would say he’s said that, that I played perfectly. So for me, it’s a great win,” Alcaraz said. “But, yeah, he’s right. I think I played perfect. I played perfectly.”

The champion lost just one set in the tournament — against Sinner on Sunday — and dropped serve just three times, becoming the second men’s singles champion at a major since 1991 to lose three or fewer service games en route to glory. The only other man who has done it, Pete Sampras, accomplished the feat at Wimbledon in 1994 and 1997.

“I feel like this is the best tournament. Since the first rounds to the end of the tournament, the best tournament so far that I have ever played,” Alcaraz said. “The consistency of my level during the whole tournament has been really, really high, which I’m really proud of, because it’s something that I’ve been working on, to be really consistent.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have met in three consecutive major finals, and it is safe to say this will not be their last clash in a big moment. Alcaraz now leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 10-5, but will continue looking for ways to learn from their encounters.

“I love watching him play. I think it is unbelievable what he’s doing. Secondly, it’s because I love to study him, how he plays, how he feels on the tournaments just [so] if I played him in that tournament, just to have feedback how he’s been playing in the tournaments,” Alcaraz said. “I wouldn’t say he’s predictable, but I know his style. I know what he’s going to do or his main weapons [in] his game. So I just try to be focused on that.”

For now, Alcaraz will enjoy this moment. There are goals like winning the two remaining ATP Masters 1000 events of the season and triumphing at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, but the Spaniard will soak in the rewards of his hard work in New York.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s great. I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy. It’s my second one, but it’s still a dream, a dream come true,” Alcaraz said. “The second one here is super special.”

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Ferrero reveals Alcaraz's 15-day training camp focused on Sinner

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Two months ago, Carlos Alcaraz fell to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final and there was plenty to think about. The Spaniard had beaten Sinner for the Roland Garros trophy, but needed to save three championship points to do so.

Then at the grass-court major, Sinner triumphed in four sets to claim his fourth Slam trophy and pull to within one of his rival. Alcaraz had plenty to think about, and that is exactly what he did according to coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

“I think it was very important, because we maybe practised for 15 days, very focused on the details that we have to improve to play against Jannik,” said Ferrero, who revealed that they reviewed those matches. “We know that in this kind of surface, on hard courts, Jannik is always very difficult to play and [is] winning a lot of matches. I think it helped a lot, because he realised what he has to improve a lot, and I was very focused on it.”

Alcaraz was ready for the US Open final, a winner-takes-all clash for the season’s final major trophy as well as World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 22-year-old produced a nearly flawless performance to beat the top seed 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 42 minutes.

“I think we prepared the match very good, watching some matches and seeing the specific details we had to play. Carlos did 100 per cent [of what he needed to]. It’s easy to say and very difficult to do it,” Ferrero said. “The performance today was perfect. I think he compromised [with] himself to go for the match all the time, tried to put pressure on the rival sooner than Jannik. I think it’s one of the keys.

“I think these guys hit the ball, both of them, very, very fast, and I think who hits first takes the advantage on points. Carlos has maybe more variety [in] his game, and he can do more, like slice, go to the net, and do more things than maybe Jannik. But I think it helps a lot to change a little bit the way of the game.”

One thing that helped Alcaraz throughout the tournament, including in the championship match, was tremendous serving. The champion won 98 of 101 service games in the tournament and faced just one break point against the Italian, who converted his lone opportunity.

“I think in this moment it’s maybe the moment that he has more improvement in his serve, and it’s been very useful on the court, and in important moments he’s using it a lot,” Ferrero said. “During all Cincinnati and also during all US Open, I think the serve is one of the keys to win the tournaments, for sure.”

It All Adds Up

Ferrero recalled that Alcaraz has worn a wide smile across his face since he was 12 or 13 years old — with the exception of difficult moments on court. But that joie de vivre was clear inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he thrilled the crowd en route to his sixth major title.

“We’re talking all the time that he has to try to have joy on the court all the time and try to be not too stressed on the court and try to go for the points,” Ferrero said. “The way he plays, I think it’s a little bit easier than maybe [for] others.”

It might not have been easy for Alcaraz on Sunday, but he improved to 10-5 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Sinner and by doing so split the season’s four majors with the Italian.

“I would say that the match was perfect for Carlos,” Ferrero said. “And the performance was unbelievable.”

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Sinner willing to lose matches evolving his game if it means beating Alcaraz

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

After suffering his seventh defeat in his past eight Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Carlos Alcaraz — a loss that also cost him the World No. 1 ranking — Jannik Sinner admits it’s time for a change.

The 24-year-old Italian fell in four sets to Alcaraz in the US Open final on Sunday and, reflecting on the trajectory of their rivalry, he vowed to shake things up. Speaking in his post-tournament press conference, Sinner acknowledged he had become too ‘predictable’ and stressed the need to evolve his game if he hopes to turn the tables.

“I was very predictable today on court. He did many things, he changed up the game. That’s also his style of how he plays. Now it’s going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” Sinner said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat. “That’s definitely [what] we are going to work on. I’m trying to be more prepared for the next match that I will play against him.

“It also depends on how you arrive to play against Carlos. One thing is when the scoreline [or] matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, I didn’t make one serve-volley, didn’t use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.

“So I’m going to aim to maybe even lose some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player. At the end of the day, that’s my main goal.”

Sinner had been virtually untouchable on hard courts in recent years, arriving in the final at Flushing Meadows on a 27-match unbeaten streak at majors on the surface. Yet Alcaraz has now defeated him four straight times on what has long been Sinner’s strongest ground.

The foundation of Sinner’s dominance has been his ability to blast through opponents from the baseline, a weapon he used to defeat Alcaraz for his first Wimbledon title in July. But with the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings on the line at the US Open, Sinner was simply outplayed by Alcaraz, who hit double the amount of winners (42 to 21) throughout their two-hour, 42-minute battle.

“He has improved. I felt like [he] was a bit cleaner today. The things I did well in London, he did better today,” Sinner said, comparing their battles at Wimbledon and the US Open. “That’s [the] result. I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today, especially serving, both sides, both swings very clean.

“I think that’s it, I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did. He raised his level when he had to. I’m still proud of myself, about the season I’m playing and making, but yeah, he played better than me today.”

Although Sinner was unable to defend his US Open crown and will slip to World No. 2 on Monday, he is proud of the achievements he has made across 2025. With titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and runs to the final at Roland Garros and the US Open, Sinner became just the fourth man in the Open Era to reach the championship match at all four Grand Slams in a season.

“Overall, the season result-wise, amazing,” said Sinner. “Four Grand Slam finals of the year. Two Grand Slams won, two times lost in the final, it’s incredible results, no? [I’m] very happy, and now we try to finish the year as strong as we can.”

Having been knocked off his 65-week reign atop the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner finds himself in the role of the chaser rather than the hunted — a shift in perspective he admits could prove valuable.

“Sometimes adding just something, and I think that’s going to be or that’s going to make a difference from my personal point of view that I can say that I’m going to become a better tennis player,” said Sinner.

“I’m going to change a couple of things on the serve, just small things, but they can make big differences. Then we see how it goes. I’m looking forward to playing these matches again. Something new is now I’m not No. 1 anymore, so it also changes a little bit that you chase.”

It All Adds Up

Sinner will leave New York with a 37-5 record on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Although he is now 2,590 points adrift of Alcaraz in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion will look to close the gap in the season’s final stretch as their battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours continues.

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Lendl, Connors, Safin among many ATP No. 1 Club members at US Open final

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Marat Safin were among the members of the ATP No. 1 Club who are in attendance at the US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Lendl handed Alcaraz the trophy after the Spaniard’s triumph. The three-time US Open champion was seated just below fellow former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Stefan Edberg, a two-time US Open winner, during the match.

<img alt=”Marat Safin (middle) assists with the coin toss before the US Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/09/07/19/46/safin-us-open-2025-final-coin-toss.jpg” />
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Only 29 players have reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings since 1973 and at least 12 of them are inside Arthur Ashe Stadium including Sinner and Alcaraz, who were playing a winner-takes-all match from which Alcaraz emerged as the new World No. 1.

It All Adds Up

Safin assisted with the coin toss and Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s coach, was in the Spaniard’s box.

John McEnroe and Jim Courier were working on commentary, while other No. 1s in attendance include Lendl, Connors, Andre Agassi, Mats Wilander and Patrick Rafter.

Click here to learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club and the stars who make up the elite group.

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Nadal headlines social media reactions to Alcaraz's US Open victory

  • Posted: Sep 08, 2025

Rafael Nadal headlined social media reactions to Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open victory on Sunday, congratulating his fellow Spaniard on the title and his return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! Champion again 🏆 of the @usopen and number 1! Congratulations on all the work behind this great season 💪🏼 

Other stars who wished the Spaniard well include Rod Laver and Billie Jean King. View more social media reactions below.

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