Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, currently the world number one, has reached another significant milestone in his career. The 23-year-old from Innichen secured his second Grand Slam title by defeating home favorite Taylor Fritz in the US Open final on Arthur Ashe Court in New York, with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Sinner has dominated this year’s hardcourt Grand Slam tournaments, building on his January triumph at the Australian Open. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka mirrored his success by winning the women's singles titles at both of these prestigious events.
Sinner became the first Italian player in history to win the US Open. He entered the tournament despite a doping controversy in March and lost only two sets throughout the event at Flushing Meadows. The final against 12th-seeded Fritz was wrapped up in two hours and sixteen minutes. For his victory, Sinner will receive a prize of $3.6 million, while Fritz will get half of that amount.
Twenty-six-year-old Taylor Fritz, who reached a Grand Slam final for the first time in his career, had a chance to become the first American Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
The match started well for Sinner, who quickly broke serve to lead 2-0. Although Fritz turned it around by winning three consecutive games, the Italian dominated from the sixth game onwards, allowing Fritz just six points and took the first set after 42 minutes.
In the second set, both players held their serves consistently until Sinner led 5-4. In the crucial tenth game, Sinner applied pressure, earned his first two break points of the set, and converted the first to take a two-set lead.
Fritz had the opportunity to make the third set more competitive. In the opening game on Sinner's serve, he led 40-0 but couldn't capitalize as Sinner saved all break points. Fritz did manage to break Sinner in the seventh game and led 5-3. However, he couldn't maintain his advantage, losing his serve at 5-4 and failing again at 5-6. Sinner converted his first match point to clinch the victory.
Supported by singer Seal in his player’s box, Jannik Sinner became the second youngest player in the Open Era to win both the Australian Open and US Open in the same season, a feat previously achieved only by the legendary Jimmy Connors.
