World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz Tops No. 1 Jannik Sinner For China Open Title

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner figure to be the two dominant forces in men’s tennis for the next decade.

Each man won two Grand Slam titles this year, and each is poised to capture many more in the years to come.

In the latest chapter of their budding rivalry, world No. 3 Alcaraz got the better of No. 1 Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) to win the China Open title in Beijing. The instant classic lasted 3 hours, 20 minutes.

It was Sinner’s first loss in a final this year after he had started 6-0.

“It was a really close match,” Alcaraz said on Tennis Channel. “Jannik showed once again that he’s the best player in the world, at least for me, the level that he’s playing. It is unbelievable, it is a really high quality of tennis, physically, mentally. He’s a beast.

“I had my chances in the first set, three set points and didn’t make it. But in general I’m proud about myself with the way that I deal [with] the match, the way that I managed everything. Being a set down with a lot of opportunities…And for me to be able to come back after that, for me has been a really good time, really good match, so I’m really happy….that at the end I made it.”

Alcaraz hit 55 winners against 52 unforced errors, while Sinner had 30 winners to 31 unforced errors. Alcaraz converted 3-of-15 break opportunities, while Sinner won 2-of-6.

After 10 career meetings, Alcaraz now leads 6-4.

Alcaraz improved to 3-0 against the Italian this season, having beaten Sinner in the Indian Wells semifinals en route to the title, and again in the Roland Garros semis on the way to the crown.

“I’d like to start with Carlos and your team,” Sinner said on court. “You’re doing an amazing job. You have a great team and family behind you. Hopefully we can still play a couple more times in the future, which I’m quite sure. It’s always a big pleasure to share the court with you. Thank you so much.”

In the first set, Alcaraz had three sets point in the tiebreak, only to sail a backhand long to lose the breaker.

Alcaraz regrouped to take the second set and then went up an early break in the third for 2-1.

But Sinner broke back for 4-all when Alcaraz sailed a forehand long.

In the third-set tiebreak, Sinner jumped out to a 3-0 lead. But Alcaraz rattled off five straight points,taking a 5-3 lead with a ferocious crosscourt forehand winner.

Sinner then sailed a forehand long to give Alcaraz a handful of match points.

And on the first match point, Alcaraz against crushed a crosscourt forehand winner and the two men soon embraced at the net.

Sinner had won 18 of his last 19 tiebreakers heading into the third set breaker, but Alcaraz believed in himself even after trailing 0-3.

“I didn’t lose the hope but I thought OK I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close,” Alcaraz said. “I played great points just to make the 3-all, and after that I just needed to go for it.

“If I lose it, at least I go for it and that’s all I thought in that moment.”