Carlos Alcaraz won seven straight points in the decisive tiebreaker to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3) and win the China Open on Wednesday, extending his recent mastery over his biggest rival — who is dealing with an ongoing doping case.
The third-ranked Alcaraz has now won all three of his meetings with Sinner this year, having also come out on top in semifinals at Indian Wells and the French Open.
Alcaraz also ended Sinner’s winning streak at 14 matches and denied the Italian three straight titles after trophies in Cincinnati and at the U.S. Open.
Sinner, who was the defending champion in Beijing, had to refocus after the World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Saturday that it was appealing a decision to clear him of wrongdoing following two positive steroid tests.
Alcaraz wasted a 5-2 lead in the first set and also let Sinner get back in the third after leading 4-2 before eventually edging it out after also falling behind 3-0 in the final-set tiebreaker.
The 21-year-old said the victory was all the more satisfying following a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open, where Sinner went on to triumph. Alcaraz also went out in the round of 32 at the Cincinnati Masters in August.
“Probably after the American swing, I was a little bit down,” he said in Beijing, his trophy sitting in front of him, “I didn’t want to touch a racquet for a while. I didn’t want to travel.”
He credited his coaching team with helping to drag him back to his old self.
“After that we talked a lot during those days, knowing that I have to be back practising, be stronger physically, be stronger mentally just to overcome problems. The last month we’ve been working really, really hard on the court, off the court, just to be able to feel this moment again.”
His coach Juan Carlos Ferrero was in tears at the end and Alcaraz said it showed what it meant to him and his team.
“Thanks to them I started to get the joy back playing the matches, practising, I got motivated again,” said Alcaraz, “I really wanted to travel, to play tournaments again.”
Sinner and Alcaraz have accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this year between them — evenly split at two each: Sinner won the Australian Open and the U.S. Open while Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon.
The new big-two: Sinner and Alcaraz have accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this year between them — evenly split at two each. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Alcaraz improved to 6-4 in his career against Sinner after their 10th meeting in what has become tennis’ top rivalry following the 60 matches between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner in a case that might not be resolved before Sinner begins the defense of his Australian Open title in January.
Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but was not banned in a decision by an independent tribunal announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in August because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.
Sinner’s accepted explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
(with inputs from AFP)
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