Jannik Sinner is starting to have a real problem against Carlos Alcaraz which he needs to fix very soon

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Jannik Sinner ultimately fell short of producing his best tennis in the US Open final, which he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz lost two match points late in his latest clash with Sinner, but quickly composed himself to clinch the title in New York.

New ATP number one Alcaraz beat the top seed 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open final, denying the Italian a fifth career Grand Slam title.

The pair have now met in the last three Grand Slam finals, while they have also combined to win all eight of the last Grand Slam titles.

Fittingly, they have four wins apiece over the last two years, but despite that parity Sinner clearly has a real problem against Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner has a real problem against Carlos Alcaraz which he needs to fix

Put simply, the Italian is now getting beaten regularly by the Spaniard, who has won seven of their last eight matches.

And Alcaraz, who has just overtaken Sinner as the world number one, now boasts a 10-5 head-to-head record over his rival.

READ MORE: How Carlos Alcaraz’s team reacted during his speech after his US Open title win over Jannik Sinner

The worrying disparity is particularly evident from their hard-court matches, with Alcaraz winning seven of their nine meetings on the surface.

It is a problem that Sinner needs to fix sooner rather than later, with his rival only going to grow in confidence should those records be extended.

Martina Navratilova reacts to Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open final win over Jannik Sinner

Remarkably, Alcaraz and Sinner had not met in a Grand Slam final before this season, but they have now met in three in a row.

And once more, it is the Spaniard who holds the bragging rights, winning their US Open and French Open finals either side of Sinner’s Wimbledon success.

He also leads the way for ATP titles with 23 compared to 20, although Sinner’s total of 300 career wins is ahead of Alcaraz’s 270.

But all eyes are now on the Spanish ace, who has received a message from another tennis icon following his efforts in the US Open.

Reacting to the victory, 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova wrote on X: “Congrats to Carlos – what a performance, what a champion!”

Perhaps it is, however, better to appreciate the two superstars as opposed to constantly comparing their records.

But that is inevitable given their track records and their current trajectories, with so much more success on the cards for both.