Asinju Season 15 — My Perspective on the 2025 US Open Final

Two decades ago in 2005, Swiss tennis king Federer and Spain’s battle-hardened Nadal started their reign over men’s tennis. They motivated and completed each other, a rivalry marked by intense, memorable Federer-Nadal finals that forged brilliant and revered tennis history.

In 2025, twenty years later, the men’s tennis world is illuminated again by two shining stars. World No. 1, Italy’s rising star Sinner, and World No. 2, Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, after ten prior encounters, met in the finals of three Grand Slams (excluding the Australian Open) and two Masters tournaments in 2025, clashing five times in epic, breathtaking battles. Where once there were Federer-Nadal finals, now there are Asinju finals. The Federer-Nadal battles have long become thrilling, iconic legends; the current Asinju finals are equally anticipated!

Speaking of Asinju Season 15 and the 2025 US Open final, now that two weeks have passed and the buzz from fans and media has settled, I’d like to share my thoughts.

Some harsh critiques said: “Sinner’s serve was poor in this match, and his baseline speed and placement control failed to reach a high standard. It feels like Sinner’s competitiveness is declining, and he was clearly no match for Alcaraz.” They even claimed: “Asinju Season 15 was their worst match of the season.”

However, most commentators believe that in the 2025 US Open final, Alcaraz’s 3-1 victory over Sinner not only earned him his second US Open title since 2022 but also reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking. This was due to Alcaraz’s outstanding performance, with very stable serving and returning, dominant forehand attacks, and successful net approaches and drop shots.

Alcaraz’s coach, former world No. 1 and 2003 French Open champion Ferrero, said: “Both Alcaraz and Sinner hit the ball at very high speeds. Whoever takes the initiative with aggressive play first gains the advantage. Alcaraz’s game is more versatile, offering more tactical options like drop shots and net approaches. This variation is crucial for changing the match rhythm. Also, Alcaraz’s serve has improved significantly, especially in key points. From Cincinnati Masters to the US Open, his serve was undoubtedly key to his championship.”

Alcaraz himself commented: “I believe I played at a perfect level, and this victory means a lot. This tournament was the best performance of my career so far. From the first round to the final, I maintained high consistency, which I have been working hard to improve. Against Sinner, I played perfectly and feel I am at the best stage of my career. But the best is yet to come; I will continue to seek progress step by step.”

Regarding his failed title defense, Sinner analyzed: “Compared to the 2025 Wimbledon final, Alcaraz has indeed improved. His performance was clean and efficient, both in serving and hitting from both sides of the court. What I did well at Wimbledon, he did even better today. He used various tactics on court, constantly changing and altering the match rhythm. My own play lacked variation, making it easy for him to predict and target me.”

Sinner continued: “Facing Alcaraz requires stepping out of your comfort zone, daring to change and break conventions. Therefore, I will try to make adjustments and become less predictable. This is something I must do to become a better player because ultimately, that is my main goal.”

Undoubtedly, Alcaraz and Sinner are two outstanding players with very different styles. As Spanish legend Nadal told The New York Times: “Alcaraz is tactically versatile with varied strokes, possessing a unique magic that produces almost magical shots. Sinner’s forehand pace is so fast it’s hard to keep up, with very quick early returns and rapid attack-defense transitions, rarely forced into long defensive rallies. Sinner’s greatest strength is his remarkable consistency, like a machine, making it tough for opponents to adapt.”

In summary, Alcaraz and Sinner have distinctive technical styles that contrast sharply. Alcaraz is known for all-around skills and diverse tactics, while Sinner excels with aggressive, stable baseline play. At the 2025 Wimbledon final, Sinner outperformed Alcaraz with sharp, consistent serving and relentless offense, overcoming an initial set loss to win three straight sets, shattering Alcaraz’s dream of a Wimbledon three-peat.

At the 2025 US Open final, Alcaraz, who “upgraded remarkably in movement, hitting, and serving” (according to Swedish tennis great Wilander), performed even better. He controlled the pace with speed and precision, constantly varying his shots to disrupt Sinner, who became frustrated, leading to inaccurate serves and limited baseline attack power. Ultimately, Sinner lost in four sets and missed out on a consecutive US Open title.

After this defeat, Sinner should seek change—and must do so. But how to change deserves careful study. I believe Sinner doesn’t have to imitate Alcaraz by adopting his tactical variety and frequent net approaches or drop shots. He can maintain his aggressive, stable baseline game while improving his serve and playing more aggressively, adding some rhythm variation. The lessons from the 2025 US Open final should be learned, but the experience from the 2025 Wimbledon final is even more important to reflect on.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Seven-colored Bean Powder)