Carlos Alcaraz proclaimed that Jannik Sinner “showed that he’s the best player in the world” despite his victory against his Italian rival in the China Open final.
The 21-year-old described Sinner as a “beast” in all aspects of the game and labelled the world No 1’s level of play “unbelievable.”
Alcaraz prevailed 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) in three hours and 21 minutes in a captivating final at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing.
The Spaniard now holds a 6-4 record against Sinner and he has won all three of his meetings with the 23-year-old Italian this year.
The four-time major champion’s victory ended Sinner’s winning 15-match winning streak, which featured title runs in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
Alcaraz and Sinner won two Grand Slam titles each in 2024, while the Italian has claimed six titles this season overall to the Spaniard’s four.
Sinner had won all six of his previous finals in 2024 and he had not tasted defeat in a championship match since losing to Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals in November last year.
Alcaraz will overtake Alexander Zverev to jump from third to second in the ATP Rankings after his Beijing triumph, while Sinner will still hold a significant 4,000 point lead at the top.
In an on-court interview after the thrilling final, Alcaraz expressed his immense respect for Sinner as he issued the highest praise for his rival.
“He could [have won] in two, I could win in two, he could win in three. It was a really close match,” said Alcaraz.
“Jannik, once again, he showed that he’s the best player in the world, at least for me. The level that he’s playing, it’s unbelievable. It’s a really high quality of tennis. Of shots, physically, mentally — he’s a beast.
“During the whole week I’ve been playing great tennis. Probably sometimes the luck went to my side a little bit in the matches. But in general I feel great on court, I feel great off the court as well with my team.
“It’s really important to feel like you are in a good mood all the time off the court, just try to show good tennis and be calm on the court. I think I couldn’t ask for a better week here in Beijing and I will try to keep going.”