Alcaraz after beating Sinner: “Thanks to these matches, many are starting to watch tennis” | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz after beating Sinner: “Thanks to these matches, many are starting to watch tennis”

The 21-year-old Spaniard conquered Beijing for the first time

October 02, 2024

If the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were a book, it would be a gripping read that readers couldn’t put down. The last chapter, Alcaraz’s hard-fought victory against Sinner in an epic China Open final, provided an amount of emotion in keeping with the context of both as opponents.

“Probably thanks to these types of matches, many begin to watch tennis or even practice it. “I think it’s pretty good,” Alcaraz said. “When Jannik and I face each other, I think it’s something really good for tennis because we always show a really intense match, a very even match, with great points, and great rallies.”

Alcaraz, who has won his fourth title of the season, has continued his perfect year against the world number one in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Spaniard fell to Sinner a year ago in the semifinals in Beijing and has since won all three of their meetings in 2024: Indian Wells, Roland Garros and Beijing. He now leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head 6-4 between them.

“I try to enjoy playing against him as much as I can, but it’s not easy. I am very happy. I mean, when you are able to beat one of the best, if not the best tennis player in the world, it obviously seems like you are doing things right, that you are doing the right job,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m proud of myself with everything I’ve done in the last month, working very hard physically, also on the court. It has been an intense month. But I am very happy to finish it with the trophy here in Beijing, with a truly incredible match.”

The 21-year-old’s 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) win against Sinner showed everything fans love about both players. There was monstrous power from the baseline and excellent shot execution combined with court coverage that showcased his speed and agility.

It was also a testament to the mental toughness of both players. Alcaraz let a 5-2 lead slip away in the first set, which he eventually lost. The Spaniard held a one-break lead in the decider but was eventually pushed to a tie-break in the final set.

Best plays of the final:

“It was a very even match. I mean, Jannik could have won in straight sets. I could have won in two sets. I had my chances in the first set. I didn’t take advantage of them,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really happy with the way I handled that moment. I lost the first set with many chances, I didn’t make it. In the second set, I tried to clear my head a little bit and just tried to move forward, playing the good tennis that I was doing in the first set.”

“I think we both showed a really high level of tennis. And there was a high mental and physical level until the last ball, running from one side to the other, showing very good exchanges, very good points in the tie-break of the third set. “I’m very happy to be able to get that victory in the end.”

Alcaraz was against the wall in the tie-break of the last set. Sinner had won 18 of his previous 19 tie-breaks, including one in the first set of the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The Italian hit two forehand winners in the first two points and then built a 3/0 lead.

But Alcaraz bounced back, scoring seven straight points to capture his 16th tour-level title.

“I just tried to move forward, tried not to think about anything but the next point,” Alcaraz said. “I tried to play the same way. If I fail it, I fail it. I wanted to think that I tried all the time. I say that’s all that matters.”

Alcaraz became the first player to win an ATP 500 crown on all three surfaces (hard, clay and grass) in the history of this type of event (the category was born in 2009). His eight-match winning streak comes as a relief after suffering a surprising loss in the second round of the US Open.

Alcaraz, who achieved his 200th victory on the circuit in the second round in Beijing, is second in the Race to Turin after his participation in the event.

“It was a really special victory for me, as well as lifting this trophy in front of my team and part of my family. It was a great moment. I guess Juan Carlos [Ferrero] He got emotional at the end because we all know what we went through in the last month or two months. “It was a really difficult moment on and off the court,” Alcaraz said.

“As I said in the speech, thanks to my team I began to regain my joy by playing games and training. I got motivated again. I really wanted to travel, to play tournaments again. Probably after the American tour, I was a little depressed, I didn’t want to touch a racket for a while. “I didn’t want to travel, let’s say.”

“After that, we talked a lot during those days, knowing that I had to train again, be stronger physically, be stronger mentally just to overcome those problems. “The last month we have been working a lot on the court and off the court, just to be able to feel this moment again.”