Carlos Alcaraz wins China Open title by outlasting Jannik Sinner in marathon final

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz captured his first China Open title by defeating defending champion and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) in a thrilling 3-hour-21-minute marathon that was the longest men’s singles match in the tournament’s history. Alcaraz also snapped Sinner’s 15-match winning streak.

“When you’re able to beat one (of) the best, if not the best, tennis player in the world, obviously you’re doing the right things, you’re doing the right work,” Alcaraz said in his press conference afterward.

Wednesday’s match marked the 10th meeting between two of tennis’ brightest young stars. It also was the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds faced off in the China Open final since 2013. As Alcaraz and Sinner entered the stadium, more than 15,000 fans waited anxiously in a sold-out Diamond Court. They were in for a spectacle.

"When Jannik and I face each other, I think it's a really good thing for tennis because we always show a really intense match," Alcaraz said. "I think for people who don't watch tennis, thanks to these kinds of matches (they'll) start to watch tennis or even practice it. I think it is pretty good."

The first set was the sloppiest from both players as they eased into the match. The first two games set the tone for how competitive the match would be. Each player held his serve through multiple riveting rallies. Sinner saved three break points in the second game after Alcaraz’s sharp returns pushed the game to deuce twice. The Spaniard achieved a big service break in the fourth game, capitalizing on a rare double fault from Sinner. Alcaraz took the next game as well despite his own double fault. He eventually gained a 5-2 lead, but Sinner’s resilience shined as he clawed back into it. Alcaraz had his serve broken in the ninth game and the Italian tied it up at 5-5. The pair held their next two serves, sending the set into a tiebreak.

The tiebreak featured an abundance of thrilling points that epitomized the storied rivalry between the two players. In a series of rallies, both players took advantage of the entire court, sending their opponent to fetch shot after shot. Alcaraz put the ball where he wanted, including a cheeky drop shot in the fourth point that left his opponent standing still. Regardless, Sinner found a way. After Alcaraz took a 6-4 lead and stood one point away from a set win, Sinner awed the crowd by placing his next shots to perfection, taking the final four points of the tiebreak and winning the set. Sinner had then won 18 of his last 19 tiebreaks going back to June 21. The back-and-forth first set lasted 71 minutes.

With increased pressure on Alcaraz, the play in the second set reached a higher level of intensity. Both players refused to budge, holding their respective serves with ease. It wasn’t until the sixth game that the tit-for-tat play began to tighten even more. The pair battled to deuce and Alcaraz held serve. The seventh game saw yet another deuce, with Sinner holding serve this time.

The eighth game encapsulated the whole match in a nutshell. The pair exchanged elaborate rally after rally, causing rapturous applause and screams from the crowd. As in the two previous games, the score reached deuce. But this time, neither player seemed able to pull ahead. They put on a show, with a dramatic exchange that felt like it would never end. After the score went to deuce an eighth time, Alcaraz finally won the game, cupping his hand to his ear as the fans roared their support. The Spaniard, finally showing off his killer instinct, swiftly took the next two games for a 6-4 set win.

The energy in the Diamond Court overflowed as the third set began. The set looked to be headed Alcaraz’s way early on. Alcaraz earned a service break in the third game and took a quick 3-1 lead. He painted the corners, landing shots that continually grazed the boundaries of the court, and played with a new level of intensity after his endurance-testing eighth-game win in the second set. But in true Sinner fashion, the Italian would not go down without a fight. Sinner faced a 2-4 deficit before storming back and taking three straight games. The pair remained neck-and-neck from there as the fans hung on through every point. The score reached deuce three times in the 11th game, and a swift 12th game resulted in yet another tiebreak.

Sinner opened the tiebreak by winning three straight points. With the Italian recently dominating tiebreaks, this looked like another easy win. But Alcaraz began to win point after point, no matter who was serving. He looked like he was at the top of his game, hitting sensational shots that sent the crowd into an uproar. Surprisingly, Sinner had no answer. Alcaraz took seven straight points to win the title with authority in just his second China Open.

“It was a really special win for me,” Alcaraz said. “Lifting this trophy in front of my team, part of my family, it was a great moment.”

With tonight’s win, the 21-year-old became the first player in history to win an ATP 500 title on all three surfaces and also the youngest China Open champion since Marcos Baghdatis (21) in 2006. Alcaraz has won all three of his matches against 23-year-old Sinner this year after losing to the Italian in the semi-final of last year’s China Open.

“It’s always nice to be a part of these kinds of matches,” Sinner said in his press conference after Wednesday’s match. “Obviously, I’m disappointed it didn’t go my way but it was not my day. He played better in important moments, that’s it.”

Sinner and Alcaraz will have their next chance to play each other in the Rolex Shanghai Masters, an ATP 1000 event, which got underway on Wednesday.

—Reporting by Egan Ward and Reade Snelling