Carlos Alcaraz won seven points in a row during the final tiebreaker to defeat top-ranked Jannik Sinner 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3) and take the China Open on Wednesday. This victory continues his strong performance against his biggest rival, who is currently facing a doping case.
Ranked third, Alcaraz has now beaten Sinner in all three of their matches this year, including the semifinals at Indian Wells and the French Open.
“He could (have won) in two, I could win in two, he could win in three. It was a really close match,” Alcaraz said. “Jannik, once again, he showed that he’s the best player in the world, at least for me.
The level that he’s playing, it’s unbelievable. It’s a really high quality of tennis. Of shots, physically, mentally, he’s a beast.”
With this win, Alcaraz ended Sinner’s 15-match winning streak and stopped the Italian from claiming three titles in a row after victories in Cincinnati and the U.S. Open.
Sinner, the defending champion in Beijing, had to refocus after the World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Saturday that it was appealing a decision that cleared him of wrongdoing following two positive steroid tests.
In the match, Alcaraz nearly lost the first set after having a 5-2 lead and also allowed Sinner to come back in the third set after leading 4-2. In the final-set tiebreaker, he fell behind 3-0 before pulling ahead.
After going down 2-0 in the third-set tiebreaker, Alcaraz changed both of his shoes. He lost one more point before going on a seven-point run that showed why he is a strong player on the court. This included impressive forehand winners, a tricky volleyed approach shot, and a drop shot.
“I’m not going to lie: 3-0 down, two mini-breaks for him, so I didn’t lose hope but I thought, ‘OK, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give me the opportunity to be close,’” Alcaraz said. “I played great points just to make the 3-3 and after that I just think to go for it. If I lose it, at least I went for it.”
Alcaraz hit 55 winners compared to Sinner’s 30, but he also made 52 unforced errors while Sinner had 31. This shows their different styles: Alcaraz is more aggressive, while Sinner plays more steadily from the baseline.
The match, held in cool weather with the retractable roof open, lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes, making it the longest match in the tournament’s history since 2004.
Between them, Sinner and Alcaraz have won all four Grand Slam titles this year, with each player winning two. Sinner won the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, while Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon.
After their 10th meeting, Alcaraz’s record against Sinner improved to 6-4, making this rivalry one of the biggest in tennis today, following the famous matches between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“I respect you a lot as a player but even more as a person,” Alcaraz told Sinner during the trophy ceremony. Sinner congratulated Alcaraz for an “amazing” job.
“Hopefully we can still play a couple of more times in the future, which I’m quite sure,” Sinner said. “It’s always a big pleasure to share the court with you.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner, and this case might not be settled before he defends his Australian Open title in January.
Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid twice in March but was not banned after an independent tribunal announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in August decided he was not at fault.
Sinner explained that the banned substance entered his body unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid for his own cut finger. Sinner thanked his team and family for their support.
“Today we fell short but it was a great battle again and in a couple of days there’s again a new opportunity,” Sinner said, looking forward to his next event in Shanghai.
