Carlos Alcaraz wins the U.S. Open and establishes himself as the best player in the world.

BarcelonaMillions of people have dreamed of having New York at their feet, even for a single minute. Exactly what Carlos Alcaraz has achieved, that boy from Murcia who, thanks to tennis, has made the city that never sleeps his own. Alcaraz was crowned US Open tennis champion for the second time in his career by defeating his great rival, Jannik Sinner. Another episode in a rivalry that should continue for a long time, provided Alcaraz doesn't turn it into a tyranny. When he plays like he did yesterday, he seems far above everyone else. Sinner was defeated in four sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4).

Nobody wanted to miss the final. Not even Donald Trump, always ready to find a hole in his schedule to watch sporting events. Now he imposes taxes, now he negotiates with Putin, and now he hands out trophies. And to do so, he caused the final to start 45 minutes late. The chaos to enter Flushing Meadows was immense, as Alcaraz and Sinner stretched out their stretches on the belly of the world's largest tennis stadium, Arthur Ashe Center Court. They were facing off for the third consecutive Grand Slam, after two epic battles in Paris and Wimbledon. It was their third consecutive Grand Slam final. This time, in New York. Precisely where in 2022, when they were just two kids, they had already won a quarterfinal duel won by Alcaraz in five sets and more than five hours of play. That was the first of their battles. And that final, the fifteenth. A host of VIPs were waiting in the stands, from Bruce Springsteen and Lindsay Lohan, to Stephen Curry, Pep Guardiola, and film director Spike Lee.

A match that was generally a monologue from Alcaraz, with the exception of the second set. The Italian player never felt comfortable, too slow, making many errors, and with a less accurate first serve than on other days. It wasn't his best performance on a surface, the hard court, which is usually dominated. In fact, he had won the last three Grand Slam finals on hard courts, twice in Australia and a year ago in New York.

But on this occasion, glory was reserved for Alcaraz, who, when he gets going, takes his opponents off the court with his explosive style. With those legs that allow him to reach balls that seem lost. He seems to enjoy the epic, Alcaraz. Sinner, Sinner moves better when there is order. This US Open has seen an unstoppable Murcian who has barely lost a set in the entire tournament. The one in the final, of course. When he's on the ball, he seems to play at a faster pace than his opponents, as if it were all a game and someone, who knows where, had clicked a button to give Alcaraz more power. The first set began with a tight match, with the Spaniard's first break coming. Alcaraz won 6-2 with a firm serve. In the second, Alcaraz lost control of the center of the court, and the Italian grew more determined, earning a break that leveled the final. It looked like it was going to be a long final, like in Paris, but just when Sinner needed to take a step forward, he faltered. Alcaraz won the third set in a flash, in just half an hour, 6-1. He was already heading straight for his sixth Grand Slam title at just 22 years old. Sinner tried to defend himself in a fourth set that began with longer points, but Alcaraz now had the wind at his back.

Sinner failed to win his fifth major title in a unique year, in which he had to stop playing for three months due to a strange doping case, but he reached all four major tournament finals, winning two, and established himself as the only alternative to the Murcian. The South Tyrolean-born player became the fourth man to reach five consecutive Grand Slam finals, following in the footsteps of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal. But in the grand final, Alcaraz was a hurricane and robbed him of his world number 1 status.

Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last eight Grand Slam tournaments. Their rivalry has deepened, although the Murcian dominates in head-to-head duels and titles won. Now it's Sinner's turn to think about how to strike back. For now, their rivalry is elegant and sporting, with flourishes being thrown at each other and giving it their all on the court. The Italian returns home with homework to do. And New York, even if only for a few hours, belongs to Alcaraz. It won't last long. In New York, every night they find a different king, whether on a stage, a theater, a pavilion, or a bar.