China Open: Carlos Alcaraz recovers to beat Jannik Sinner in dramatic final

Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down in a dramatic China Open final against world number one Jannik Sinner.

The 21-year-old Alcaraz continued his fine form against the Italian and has now won each of their last three meetings after prevailing 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). .

It is the Spaniard's fourth ATP Tour title this year and the 16th of his career.

“Jannik has shown once again that he is the best player in the world, he is incredible and plays tennis at such a high level,” said Alcaraz.

“I had my chances in the first set and didn’t take advantage of them. In general, I’m proud of how I handled the match and accomplished everything.”

“I never lose hope, but I know he has great values. I knew I had to give everything to give myself the chance.”

Since his surprise second-round exit at the US Open, Alcaraz has bounced back to win nine straight matches. Among other things, he helped Team Europe win the Laver Cup last month.

Alcaraz looked to be on his way to the perfect start when he took a 5-2 lead in the opening set. However, Sinner saved two set points to force a tiebreak, which he eventually won.

The decisive moment in the second game came in the ninth game when Alcaraz took his opportunity to secure a break before serving out the set for the decider.

There was little difference between the two in the early stages of their careers, with their head-to-head record now 6-4 in favor of Alcaraz, and it was another good example of what the future of tennis in Beijing has to offer.

Sinner has made a habit of winning big matches throughout 2024, prevailing in all six of his previous finals – including the Australian Open and US Open – and he found an extra gear to win in the last one sentence to start another race to catch up.

Trailing 4-2 in the third round, Sinner won three games in a row to regain momentum and send the match to a game-winning tiebreaker.

Sinner appeared to have the lead firmly in hand after opening up a 3-0 lead, but Alcaraz was undeterred.

He scored seven straight points to clinch the win, securing three straight wins against the two-time Grand Slam champion.

“All week I played great tennis, a bit of luck was on my side, but I also felt great on the court,” Alcaraz said.

The win means he becomes the first player to win an ATP 500 title on all three surfaces.