Will the 16-year-long US Open men's singles curse, where no one has successfully defended the title, finally be broken this time, ushering in a new era similar to the women's singles? After the match between Sinner and Alcaraz concluded, the heavy sighs from the public have answered: the Italian failed to emulate Sabalenka in this regard!

Before this highly anticipated men's singles showdown began, two questions drew significant interest: first, last year both Sinner and Sabalenka topped Flushing Meadows, and after the Belarusian woman successfully defended her title this year, would Sinner keep pace with her? Second, the men's singles final recreated the stunning scene from 2022, where the winner would also claim the world No. 1 ranking.

As these two topics became the center of heated discussion, the public found it difficult to reach a consensus on the final prediction.

Bookmakers set the odds at 1.8 for Sinner and 2.1 for Alcaraz, favoring the Italian player.

Some supporters of Sinner believed he would successfully defend his title, breaking the curse and replicating Sabalenka's feat. Besides thinking Alcaraz currently struggles on hard courts against the Italian, they also noted that Sinner's path to the final seemed relatively unchallenging. While this smooth progression appeared positive, whether it brought out his best form remained questionable!

On the other hand, those backing Alcaraz had simpler and more direct reasons: after avenging Djokovic in the semifinals, the Spaniard was fueled by fierce determination, having become a battle-hardened warrior; plus, with Sinner seemingly carrying an injury, how could he stop Alcaraz from claiming the US Open crown?

It was precisely these gripping pre-match narratives that sent the hype for the "Sinner vs. Alcaraz" duel soaring, making many feel that missing this match would be like lacking a crucial spice in life—“even if it means being late for work or taking leave on Monday, staying up late to watch the result is a must.”

From Alcaraz’s performance in the first set, he lived up to his supporters’ expectations, showing a ruthless level of play. He didn’t hesitate or test Sinner but unleashed full power immediately, bombarding the Italian relentlessly.

Taking the initiative, Alcaraz broke Sinner’s serve twice in a row and easily took the first set 6-2.

Seeing Sinner struggling, viewers in the live stream immediately predicted that Alcaraz would capitalize on the Italian’s slow recovery to clinch the next set and push the match to a thrilling peak.

What made Sinner deserving of praise was his world No. 1 status and excellent ability to adjust. He not only prevented Alcaraz from continuing his assault but swiftly fought back, winning the second set 6-3 to even the score.

Just when everyone expected these two young male tennis stars to battle fiercely from the third set onward, no one anticipated that this set would become the turning point of the entire match.

Instead of witnessing a fierce contest, the match suddenly showed signs of one-sidedness.

For some unknown reason, Sinner’s form sharply declined starting from the third set. When he lost five consecutive games, allowing Alcaraz to reach a commanding 5-0 lead in the set, everyone watching was shocked and believed that with such a stark contrast in form, the Italian was likely doomed to succumb to the curse.

After Alcaraz took the third set 6-1 and entered the fourth, facing Sinner’s desperate fightback, the Spaniard unleashed all his weapons without holding back, winning 6-4 to end the battle and officially announce Sinner’s failed title defense.

Sinner’s defeat at the hands of Alcaraz’s revenge once again highlighted Federer’s greatness at Flushing Meadows.

Since Federer’s five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008, starting with Del Potro in 2009, the men’s singles championship at the US Open has been cursed, with no one able to defend the title for 16 years. It was hoped this year that Sinner could break this deadlock, synchronize with Sabalenka’s feat, and thus bring a new era to men’s singles. Unfortunately, he failed.

Sinner’s loss at the US Open not only allows this curse to continue dominating men’s singles but also causes him huge setbacks: first, losing the world No. 1 spot, ending his record streak of 65 consecutive weeks at the top; second, missing the chance to join Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal as players who won three Grand Slams in a single season; third, forfeiting the highest prize money in Grand Slam history, narrowly missing out on a $5 million champion’s prize.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, looked like a top scorer, beaming with joy! After claiming the $5 million prize and reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking, he matched two legendary tennis records: becoming the third player in history, after McEnroe and Sampras, to win two US Open titles before turning 23.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)