What Pete Sampras and Carlos Alcaraz are now the only two players to do in tennis since 1991

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Carlos Alcaraz has returned to the very top of the ATP rankings for the first time since 2023 after clinching his second US Open title.

In an incredible performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the final to take the New York crown off his rival.

The Spaniard is now a six-time Grand Slam champion, equalling the tallies of tennis greats Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.

Alcaraz has cemented legend status already at the age of 22, and has just matched an incredible record of 14-time major champion Pete Sampras with his victory over Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz matches Pete Sampras after winning the US Open

The new world number one enjoyed a flawless campaign at the US Open, dropping just one set throughout the tournament, which came in the final.

He conceded just three service games over the fortnight, winning 98 out of 101, becoming the second men’s singles Grand Slam champion in history to lose three or fewer en route to the title.

Other than Alcaraz, the only player to have completed the feat is Sampras, who did so twice in his illustrious career.

The American dropped three service games during his 1994 Wimbledon title run, and just two at the All England Club in his 1997 campaign.

The US Open title defence drought continues after Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph

Sinner’s failure to clinch a second consecutive championship means the ongoing drought of US Open title defences goes on.

The last player to successfully go back-to-back in the Big Apple was Roger Federer, who did so in 2008 when claiming his fifth in a row.

Since then, a number of different stars have won the tournament, including the likes of Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, and Daniil Medvedev.

Novak Djokovic came close to winning two in a row in 2012 against Andy Murray and 2016 against Stan Wawrinka, but fell short of the mark on both occasions.