• World no. 1 Italian Jannik Sinner at his first US Open victory.
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    Sinner surges to win US open, defeats Fritz

    European Newsdesk Posted on

    Italian no.1 Jannik Sinner defeated US no. 12 Taylor Fritz in staight sets to win his first US Open title in New York.

    When Jannik Sinner last competed in New York, there were still lingering doubts about his potential for greatness. Battling through both physical and mental hurdles, his US Open journey ended in the fourth round, where Alexander Zverev eliminated him after Sinner’s body gave out.

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    A year later, Sinner’s fortunes have dramatically changed. He leaves New York as the dominant force on hard courts and the most consistent player in the world. The World No. 1 dispatched 12th seed Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, despite a spirited comeback from the American.

    Sinner’s triumph marks him as the first Italian man to win this championship, and only the fourth player to win both the Australian and US Open titles in the same year since the events transitioned to hard courts in 1988. This season, he has firmly established himself among the game’s elite, compiling a stunning 55-5 record, including 35-2 on hard courts, with six of his 16 career titles coming this year alone.

    Reflecting on his journey, Sinner shared: “It means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy. My team supports me every day. I love tennis, I practice for moments like this. But I also realize there is a life outside tennis. I’d like to dedicate this title to my aunt, who isn’t well. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have her in my life. It’s so nice to share these positive moments with her.”

    For many players born in the 1990s, there was hope that the decline of the Big Three—Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer—would create more opportunities to win major titles. But in the first year since 2002 without one of the Big Three claiming a Grand Slam, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have divided the spoils, continuing the dominance of a new generation. While players born in the ’90s have only two major titles between them, Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 21, now have a combined six.

    Sinner’s success comes despite a recent controversy. A week before the US Open, it was revealed that he had twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in April. However, an independent tribunal ruled that he bore no fault or negligence for its presence in his system, allowing him to continue playing. The lead-up to the tournament was clouded by speculation, with some players questioning whether tennis authorities treated the World No. 1 differently from others. After successfully appealing his provisional suspension, Sinner admitted feeling relief once the ruling was made public. Despite the off-court drama, he remained deadly under pressure.

    Fritz’s strong tournament run was a testament to his work ethic and grit, but his efforts fell short against a superior athlete. Sinner, with his athleticism and defensive skills second only to Djokovic, controlled the match with his powerful shot-making and strategic injection of pace. Even as Fritz improved his serve and mounted a late rally, taking a 5-3 lead in the third set, Sinner responded calmly. He won the last four games in a row to claim his second Grand Slam title, with many more likely to come.

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