Jannik Sinner won 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 against Taylor Fritz to become the first Italian tennis player to win the US Open.
An elated atmosphere greeted the finalists at Arthur Ashe Stadium (USA) on Sunday (September 8), where Fritz entered the court as the first American to reach the US Open men’s singles final since 2006.
However, Sinner quickly proved his status as the number one seed with a controlled performance, accurate serving and neat ball-striking from the back of the court.
The Italian became the first man to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season in 47 years, making 21 unforced errors in three sets whose persistence eventually overwhelmed Fritz.
With Carlos Alcaraz winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season, it is the first time since 1993 that all four majors in the same year have been won by players aged 23 or younger.
“It’s great to see some new champions for the sport . I feel like our generation is pushing each other, trying to improve together,” Sinner told ESPN.
Earlier, at the award ceremony, Sinner shared: “This title means a lot to me, the end of my year has not been easy. Fortunately, I have a team and close friends who support me every day.
I love tennis, I train a lot for these courts, but off the court I have a life. I want to dedicate this title to my aunt, who is not well. I don’t know how much longer I will have her in my life. It’s great that I can still share positive moments with her.”
Sinner was under huge pressure ahead of the 2024 US Open following reports he had tested positive twice in March, but the Italian avoided punishment when an independent tribunal accepted his claim that the positive tests were the result of unintentional doping.
Fritz had a bad start when he let Sinner break with an unforced error in the first game (0-1) but the 12th seed regained his composure and demanded a break in the fourth game (2-2), then the American fought persistently to successfully defend the fifth game.
However, it was only a matter of time before Sinner found form, taking Fritz in five straight games, with two breaks, to take the first set 6-3.
The enthusiastic crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium tried to cheer Fritz on with chants of “USA!” in the second set. However, the home crowd’s support was not enough for Fritz to rise up and defeat Sinner. After a series of fierce chase games, Fritz was broken in the 10th decisive game when his opponent launched impressive counterattacks from the back of the court (4-6).
Sinner continued to cause more pain for the American player when he successfully saved a triple break-point in the first game of the third set. However, Fritz, after saving two breaks in game 6, seized the opportunity in game 7 to break (4-3). Facing the opportunity to break and win, the American player did well in game 8 when he extended the score to 5-3.
Unfortunately, Fritz then lost his cool, smashing his racket on the court after a bad shot in game 10. Unable to maintain absolute concentration, Fritz lost 2 breaks in a row, allowing Sinner to come back to win 7-5 and end the final match after 2 hours and 16 minutes.
