Alcaraz Triumphs Over Sinner in Epic China Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominance over Jannik Sinner with a thrilling victory in the China Open final on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Spaniard clinched the title after a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory in a marathon match lasting three hours and 21 minutes, the longest in tournament history.

Despite losing a break lead in both the first and third sets, Alcaraz powered through, winning seven consecutive points in the deciding tie-break to secure the win.

“It was a really close match. Jannik showed once again that he’s the best player in the world, at least for me,” Alcaraz said, praising his rival. The victory improves Alcaraz’s record to 6-4 in their head-to-head series and marks his third straight win over Sinner this season.

Alcaraz’s ability to stay composed under pressure was key, especially when down 0-3 in the final set tie-break. “I never lost hope,” Alcaraz shared. He capitalized on his opportunities, storming back to claim his first ATP 500 title on all three surfaces—hard, clay, and grass—making history in the process.

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Sinner, who had won 18 of his last 19 tie-breaks, was aiming to defend his Beijing crown but fell short despite a strong showing. The two are now set to face off again at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

With this win, Alcaraz narrows the gap in the race for the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking, although he remains 2,820 points behind Sinner.