Jannik Sinner laments missed opportunities against Carlos Alcaraz in a close China Open final loss
Jannik Sinner was two points away from defending his China Open title, but fell short against Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the 2024 China Open (via X)
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner reflected on missed chances in his close China Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian lost to his rival in a thrilling match with a scoreline of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.
A key moment came in the final set tiebreak when Sinner was leading 3-0. However, a net cord helped Alcaraz get his first point in the tiebreak, which sparked a comeback as he won six straight points to turn things around.
It can happen. I was leading 3-0. I served very well. I hit the net on the first ball. If I lead 4-0, it’s already a little different. There’s no need to talk about certain points. I felt like he played a very good point at 3-0 and 3-1, and then he served very well at 3-2. The margins are very small. In tie-breaks, small margins seem very important. That’s how it is. You have to accept it. You have to keep working on certain things. I won a lot of tie-breaks in the last period. This time I lost it. That’s it, right? Everything’s fine.
Jannik Sinner said in his post-match press conference
Sinner had won the first set in a tiebreak, fighting back from 2-5 down and saving three set points. In the second set, Alcaraz secured the only break, taking a 5-4 lead after surviving a long 22-point eighth game in which he saved two break points.
In the final set, Alcaraz broke early and had a chance to go up 3-1 with a double break, but Sinner held his ground and broke back to level at 4-4. The match went to a dramatic final set tiebreak, where Alcaraz sealed the victory with a service winner.
Carlos Alcaraz has Jannik Sinner’s number in 2024
Jannik Sinner has been the most consistent player in the world. The Italian became the first man from his country to reach the top of the ATP rankings in June.
Sinner’s consistency can be seen by the fact that he has won the most titles, most matches, most Masters Series 1000 titles and tied in terms of most Grand Slam wins. However, there is one box he has been unable to tick this year and that is to get the better of Carlos Alcaraz.
The rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is considered the next big rivalry in tennis. The duo have met each other thrice this year, with the Spaniard winning on all three occasions. This is pretty similar to the 2017 season where Rafael Nadal finished world No.1 ahead of Roger Federer, but the Swiss Maestro, who also enjoyed a successful season, managed to win all of his four meetings against the left-hander.
The first meeting of Sinner and Alcaraz came in the Indian Wells semifinals, where the 21-year-old ended the Italian’s unbeaten start to the season. Then, they met in the Roland Garros semifinals, where Alcaraz edged Sinner in five sets en route to winning his first French Open title. Now, they have had another titanic battle coming in the China Open, with Alcaraz once again coming out victorious.
Fahad Hamid
(314 Articles Published)