Carlos Alcaraz joins Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner in elite list after stunning 2025 season

Carlos Alcaraz captured eight titles in 2025, with two of them coming at tournaments he was playing for the very first time. Making his debuts in Rotterdam and Tokyo, the Spaniard swept both events to earn significant milestone victories.

His triumph in Rotterdam marked the first time a Spanish player had ever won the tournament. In Tokyo, he became the first Spaniard in 15 years to lift the trophy, following Rafael Nadal’s victory in 2010.

The El Palmar native delivered these twin breakthroughs during a season in which he posted a remarkable 71–9 record on his way to eight titles. His standout 2025 campaign puts him in select companies across two notable and very different categories.

Carlos Alcaraz has become only the sixth man this century to win more than eight titles in a single season while also finishing the year with over 70 wins and fewer than 10 losses.

By pulling off both feats in the same season, he joins an elite group that includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and his current rival Jannik Sinner.

Swiss maestro Roger Federer tops the list, having achieved the feat three times (2004, 2005, and 2006).

Carlos Alcaraz also defended his 2024 French Open title in unforgettable fashion. The Spaniard survived the brink of defeat in the longest match in the tournament’s history, outlasting Jannik Sinner to capture his fifth consecutive Grand Slam final. He later went on to dethrone Sinner again in New York, winning the 2025 US Open.

With eight tour-level titles, the World No. 1 enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025—surpassing even his impressive 2023 campaign, when he lifted six trophies.

Alcaraz spent the season locked in a tight battle with Sinner for the year-end No. 1 ranking, a race that went all the way to the ATP Finals. The Spaniard ultimately sealed the top spot in style, going undefeated in the group stage and reaching the championship match in his debut appearance at the season finale.

It was a defining year for Alcaraz, who finished with six titles—more than Sinner. At just 22, he secured the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking for the second time, having first earned it in 2022, and prevented Sinner from claiming back-to-back year-end No. 1 finishes.

Looking ahead to 2026, Alcaraz will be chasing even more history. A win at the Australian Open would make him the youngest player ever to complete a career Grand Slam.

Cover Credits - Sky Sports