Forget Paris and New York; Carlos Alcaraz is back.
After the setbacks of late summer, when he was defeated in the Olympic final and went on to suffer an early loss at the US Open, the 21-year-old Spaniard capped a resurgent week in Beijing by defeating Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, to win the China Open.
Matches between Alcaraz and Sinner rarely disappoint, and this breathless, seesaw encounter was no exception. In an absorbing final of high drama and countless twists and turns, the Italian world No 1 staged a masterclass in escapology, hauling himself off the canvas time and again before Alcaraz, who started and finished the contest in electrifying form, finally prevailed 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
In a year when the pair have divvied up the four major championships, Alcaraz has won on each of the three occasions they have met, edging 6-4 ahead in their personal rivalry with victories in Indian Wells, Paris and now Beijing. That trio of showdowns all went the distance, however, and there remains precious little between them.
Over the course of an enthralling three hours and 21 minutes, Sinner fended off a dozen break points, recovered from 5-2 down to win the opener – although only after saving three set points – and then clawed his way back from a break down in the decider to move within two points of victory. None of it was enough to prevent Alcaraz from becoming the first player to win an ATP 500 tournament on all three surfaces, following his victories on the clay courts of Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, on grass at Queen’s Club last year, and now on the slick hard courts of Beijing’s Olympic tennis centre.
“I’m proud about myself with everything I’ve done the last month, working really hard physically, on the court as well,” said Alcaraz after securing his fourth title of the season with a ninth straight win.
“It has been an intense month, but [I’m] really happy to end it with the trophy here in Beijing, with a really incredible match. I think both of us showed a really high level of tennis, a high level mentally, physically, until the last ball, running from side to side, showing really good rallies, really good points in the tiebreak of the third.”
In that climactic shootout, Alcaraz underlined his late-season resurgence with an extraordinary final flourish, erasing a 3-0 advantage for Sinner as he reeled off seven consecutive points with his wing-heeled court coverage, incisive volleying and laser-like forehands. It was the clearest indication yet that the French Openand Wimbledon champion is back to his very best.
The 21-year-old never really went away, of course, yet this still felt like a restorative victory, both personally and for the sport as a whole.
On the one hand, in claiming his first title since Wimbledon, Alcaraz ensured that a summer of glory at Roland Garros and the All England Club did not fade into a winter of discontent following his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic final. That setback, which left him devastated, was swiftly followed by surprise early losses to Gaël Monfils in Cincinnati and Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open. But having steadied the ship with strong showings for Spain in the Davis Cup and a pivotal role in Team Europe’s Laver Cup victory, a win that snapped Sinner’s 15-match unbeaten run marked a welcome return to form.
“I started to get the joy back playing the matches, practising, I got motivated again,” said Alcaraz, who has been beaten just once in nine meetings with top-five opposition this season. “I really wanted to travel, to play tournaments again.
“After the American swing, I was a little bit down, I didn’t want to touch a racket for a while. I didn’t want to travel, let’s say. I talked a lot [to my team] during those days, knowing that I have to be back practising, be stronger physically, be stronger mentally just to overcome on those problems.
“The last month, we’ve been working really, really hard on the court, off the court, just to be able to feel this moment again.”
Those who have questioned the handling of Sinner’s recent brush with the anti-doping authorities are likely to be equally heartened by Alcaraz’s win. The Italian’s campaign in Beijing began with news that the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s decision to clear him of wrongdoing after he failed two drug tests in March, raising the possibility that the 23-year-old could be banned for up to two years. While Sinner showed admirable resolve in putting the issue to one side as he advanced to the final – a run that included gritty three-set wins over Nicolás Jarry and Roman Safiullin – Djokovic voiced the feelings of many when he suggested the case was doing the sport few favours.
“I think it’s quite obvious that we have a system that is not working well,” said Djokovic, speaking ahead of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, where Alcaraz and Sinner will begin their respective campaigns at the weekend. “That’s probably something that even the people who are not following our sport are realising. There’s way too many inconsistencies, way too many governing bodies involved, and this whole case is not helping our sport at all.
“It must be very tough for him, and his team and family. Hopefully, we can go back to tennis… these circumstances are not positive for our sport, so hopefully we can resolve this case as soon as possible.”
The frustration, for all who hold the sport dear, is that we cannot simply sit back and enjoy the wondrous shot-making and athleticism of a rivalry that, all things being equal, promises to sustain the men’s game for years to come – at least, not without harbouring fears about what lies ahead.