Jannik Sinner has become the first ATP player to win the US Open whilst ranked world No.1 since 2017 after brushing aside Taylor Fritz in straight sets on Sunday.
The top seed secured his latest milestone in the sport with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, triumph over Fritz who was bidding to become the first American man to win the title since 2003. It is the second time Sinner has won a hard-court Grand Slam title this season after the Australian Open. At the age of 23, he has become the youngest man to have won both of those events within the same season and only the fourth overall. Following in the footsteps of Mats Wilander, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Sinner now has a winning 45-1 record against players ranked outside the top 10 since January. In his latest showdown against Fritz, he fired a total of 23 winners against 21 unforced errors and won 88% of his first service points.
“We just went day by day trying to practice. Even on the days off, believing in ourselves, which is the most important.” Sinner said of his maiden US Open victory.
“I understood, especially in this tournament, how important the mental part is in this sport.
“I’m very happy, very proud to share this moment with my team.
“I know there are a lot of people watching from home, but I would like to thank everyone for being so fair in this, in this amazing arena (Arthur Ashe).
“It was a huge pleasure.”
Taking to the court to play his maiden US Open final, Sinner endured a roller-coaster start to his clash after breaking immediately en route to a 2-0 lead before losing three games in a row. Throughout the opening set, both players were trying to find their rhythm but it was the Italian who proved to be the more consistent. Meanwhile, Fritz struggled with his serve and was broken in three out of his first five service games. Paving the way for Sinner to run away in the second half of the opening set with him winning 15 out of 20 points played. He sealed the 6-3 lead with the help of a backhand error from his opponent.
There was less drama in the second frame with both players standing firm behind their serve for the majority until Sinner struck at a crucial point. Leading 5-4, he elevated the intensity of his shotmaking to draw a series of costly unforced errors from Fritz – two on the backhand side and one on the forehand. Then a blistering Sinner backhand down the line triggered yet another error from Fritz and rewarded him with a two-set lead after 75 minutes of play.
Closing in on victory was far from straightforward for Sinner who failed to convert two break points for a 4-2 lead in the third set before getting broken by Fritz who then moved to two points from taking the match into a fourth frame. Despite the blip, he weathered the storm once again by drawing level at 5-5. Two games later he worked his way to multiple championship points with the help of a Fritz mishit. Victory was then secured with the help of another Fritz forehand error.
Battles on and off the court
Embed from Getty Images“This title means so much because the last period of my career was really easy,” said Sinner.
“There is my team who supports me every day. I love tennis, I practice a lot for these kinds of stages but I also realized that off the court, there is life.”
It was assumed the tennis star was referring to the fallout he faced after it was revealed he had failed two anti-doping tests earlier this year before getting cleared of any wrongdoing. He tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol but was able to prove that the source of the substance came from a spray his former physio was using on his hands whilst treating him.
However, Sinner also revealed that he has been coping with a member of his family being seriously ill.
“I would like to dedicate this title to my aunt because she is really not feeling well.” He said.
“Health-wise, I don’t know how much longer I still have her in my life. It’s nice that I can share positive moments with her still.
“She was a very important person in my life, and she still is.”
Sinner, Fritz still eager to improve
Embed from Getty ImagesThe defeat is a bitter pill for home player Fritz who had never progressed beyond the quarter-final of a Grand Slam until this week. He has secured entry back into the world’s top 10 for the first time since February.
“It’s been an amazing two weeks,” said Fritz.
“Congrats Jannick, he played a great match. Congrats to his team.
“I want to say thanks to thanks to my team. It’s amazing to have such a great support system around me.
“Being an American at the US Open is just incredible. I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time, but I’m gonna keep working and hopefully, I’ll get it done next time.”
Becoming the first Italian man to claim the US Open crown, Sinner is on an 11-match winning streak after also clinching the Cincinnati Masters trophy last month. So far this season, he has won six ATP titles and 35 matches on hard courts.
“The work never stops. I know that I still can improve as we saw today a couple of things. But you have to be proud of what you have and the rest. I can’t wait, for my continued process.” Sinner concluded.
