Jannik Sinner, the world’s top-ranked player from Italy, has clinched his second major title by winning the men’s singles at the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships.
Sinner celebrated his victory on Sunday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where he defeated Taylor Fritz (ranked 12th, USA) with a score of 3-0 (6-3, 6-4, 7-5) in the final. After first winning a major title at the Australian Open earlier this year, Sinner now boasts two major championships with his triumph at the US Open. For his victory, Sinner received a prize of $3.6 million.
This year, the men’s singles major titles have been evenly split between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (ranked 3rd, Spain). Alcaraz captured the French Open and Wimbledon, while Sinner took home the Australian Open and the US Open trophies.
Sinner’s victory marks the first time since 2002 that none of the Big Four—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray—has won a major title. The triumphs of Sinner (born in 2001) and Alcaraz (born in 2003) signify a major shift in men’s tennis.
Sinner is now the fifth male player since 2000 to win two major singles titles in a single year and the first to do so since Guillermo Vilas in 1977. Despite dropping a set in the first round and quarterfinals, Sinner displayed dominance by winning the remaining five matches, including the final, with straight-set victories.
However, Sinner’s path to the US Open was marred by controversy. Earlier this year, it was revealed that he had tested positive for doping twice in March, raising questions about the legitimacy of his Australian Open win.
Sinner claimed the positive tests were accidental and avoided suspension, though this stirred debates about alleged preferential treatment for top players. Despite the controversy, his performance at the US Open reaffirmed his status as the world’s number one.
In the final, after winning the first two sets, Sinner found himself in a challenging position in the third set, trailing 4-5. However, he overcame the pressure during Fritz’s serve and won three consecutive games to secure his victory. This moment highlighted Sinner’s remarkable focus and match management skills.
Fritz reached the men’s singles final as the first American player since Andy Roddick, who finished as runner-up at Wimbledon in 2009. Still, he left the match disappointed after losing two consecutive service games while leading 5-4 in the third set. The last time an American won a major men’s singles title was when Roddick won the US Open in 2003, nearly 20 years ago.
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