Carlos Alcaraz celebrated a thrilling victory over Jannik Sinner in the final of the China Open, marking his fourth title of 2024. The match, which lasted three hours and 21 minutes, became the longest in the tournament’s history and showcased the intense rivalry between the two players.
Alcaraz, who has now won three consecutive matches against Sinner this year, expressed confidence in the impact of such exciting matches on attracting new fans to tennis. “I think for those who don’t watch tennis, matches like this could inspire them to start watching or even practicing the sport,” he said.
The Spaniard’s victory came after a challenging battle, where he let a 5-2 lead slip in the first set but rallied back to win with scores of 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3). He praised both players for their resilience throughout the intense match, commenting on their mental and physical levels of play.
Alcaraz faced a tough challenge in the final-set tiebreak, having to recover from an early 3-0 deficit. However, he managed to seize control, winning seven consecutive points to secure his 16th tour-level title. “I just tried to focus on each point and went for it all the time,” he noted.
With this victory, Alcaraz became the first player to win an ATP 500 title on all three surfaces: hard, clay, and grass. After overcoming a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open, he is now ranked second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
“This win is really special for me,” Alcaraz reflected. “It was a great moment to lift the trophy in front of my team and family, especially after the tough times we’ve had recently. Thanks to my team, I found the joy in practicing and playing matches again, which motivated me to compete and succeed.”