Carlos Alcaraz overcame Jannik Sinner in an epic three-set final at the 2024 China Open in Beijing to become the first player to achieve an impressive feat.
The Spanish star downed world No 1 Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) after a thrilling three hours and 21 minutes in the latest chapter of the pair’s fascinating rivalry.
Sinner won the opening set on a tiebreak after battling back from a 2-5 deficit and saving three set points.
In the second set, Alcaraz earned the only break to take a 5-4 lead after crucially saving two break points in a marathon 22-point eighth game.
Alcaraz continued his surge as he earned a break in the third game of the decider and he had two chances to earn a double break advantage at 3-1, but Sinner held firm before breaking back for 4-4.
The contest fittingly went to a third set tiebreak and Sinner looked the favourite after earning a 3-0 lead with two mini breaks.
In a dramatic conclusion, Alcaraz found an astonishing level to win seven straight points and claim a stunning victory.
Alcaraz has now won four titles in 2024 and he is the first player to defeat Sinner in a final since Novak Djokovic at the 2023 ATP Finals. Sinner had won all six of his previous finals this year.
The four-time Grand Slam champion now holds a 6-4 record against the 23-year-old Italian and he has won all three of the duo’s encounters this season.
With his triumph at the hard-court event, Alcaraz has become the first player to win ATP 500 tournaments on all three surfaces.
The Spaniard has won clay-court ATP 500 events in Rio and Barcelona, while his grass-court 500 title came at the Queen’s Club Championships last year.
At the age of 21 years and 150 days, Alcaraz is the youngest player to defeat an ATP world No 1 in a final after losing the first set since Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer at the 2009 US Open.
In an on-court interview, Alcaraz said: “I never lost hope… Honestly I knew that [when I started the third set tiebreak] that every tiebreak Jannik plays is almost to his side.
“I thought that in the third set, I’m not going to lie, 3-0 down, two mini breaks for him. So I didn’t lose hope, but I thought, ‘Okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close.’
“I played great points just to make 3-all and after that, I just thought to go for it. If I lost it, at least I went for it. So that’s all I thought in that moment.”