Toni Nadal thinks Carlos Alcaraz made a very smart decision just before the US Open started which helped him win

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Carlos Alcaraz got everything right on Sunday afternoon, clinching his sixth Grand Slam title.

Playing his third-straight major final against his Italian rival, Jannik Sinner, the Spaniard was looking to emerge victorious in their ‘trilogy’ match.

Alcaraz had won their first Slam final in a Parisian thriller before Sinner bounced back to win Wimbledon in four sets.

In arguably the most one-sided of their three major finals, Alcaraz defeated Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Reacting to Alcaraz’s latest triumph, legendary coach Toni Nadal weighed in with his thoughts.

Toni Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz made a ‘wise’ decision taking note of what went wrong at Wimbledon

Writing for ‘El Pais‘, Rafael Nadal’s former coach reflected on the work Alcaraz and his team put in after his Wimbledon final defeat.

“I think that, very wisely, both [Carlos] Alcaraz and his coaching team took note of what happened in their last meeting at Wimbledon,” he said.

“On that occasion, the lack of variety in his shots had allowed [Jannik] Sinner to impose his own style.”

At Wimbledon in July, Sinner was the more aggressive player, playing the match on his terms, as he secured victory on Centre Court.

Things were different at Flushing Meadows, however, as Alcaraz made the necessary adjustments.

“This time, however, it was Alcaraz who dictated the pace of the match from the beginning,” said Nadal.

“Jannik was completely overwhelmed by the intensity, variety, and quality of his opponent’s shots.

“Perhaps this Sunday we didn’t see the best version of Jannik, but I dare say that, even if he had shown it, I doubt he could have faced a Carlos who has played at this level.”

Nadal then spoke about the importance of Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam win over Sinner this year.

“Besides winning his sixth Grand Slam title, Carlos prevented his great rival from catching him on five victories in this category of tournaments and almost definitively overtook him in the race to finish the year as world number one,” he said.

Alcaraz is now a six-time major champion, with two more titles than Sinner, trailing only Novak Djokovic in the list of ‘active’ Grand Slam winners.

List of active ‘ATP’ Grand Slam winners

• 1. Novak Djokovic – 24
• 2. Carlos Alcaraz – 6
• 3. Jannik Sinner – 4
• 4. Stan Wawrinka – 3
• T-5. Daniil Medvedev – 1
• T-5. Marin Cilic – 1

The Spaniard also overtook Sinner for the number one spot in the world rankings with the win, ending his rival’s 65-week reign.

With Sinner set to defend more points than Alcaraz over the coming months, it seems quite likely that the Spaniard will finish as year-end number one for the second time in his career.

Their rivalry has entertained fans throughout the year, but when can we expect to see the pair face off next?

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner won’t play the same tournament when they return

In 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner began the ‘Asian swing’ of the tour in Beijing for the China Open.

Making their way through to the final, Alcaraz and Sinner put on a classic for the fans in attendance, as the former picked up the win in three sets.

In a strange scheduling decision, Alcaraz won’t return to defend his title in 2025 and instead will head over to Tokyo for the Japan Open.

As Sinner hasn’t followed suit, fans will have to wait a few more weeks before a potential 16th ATP Tour encounter between the world number one and two.

They could meet at the Shanghai Masters event, which begins on Monday, September 29.

Alcaraz fell at the quarterfinal stage last year, while Sinner won the tournament, beating Djokovic in the final.

Serbia’s Djokovic is expected to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters this year, following his latest Grand Slam semifinal defeat.

Only time will tell if we will see Alcaraz and Sinner face off in Shanghai, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins later this month.