Carlos Alcaraz stunned world number one Jannik Sinner in a nail-biting China Open final, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
The 21-year-old Spaniard claimed his fourth ATP Tour title this year and 16th of his career, extending his winning streak to nine matches.
“Jannik showed he’s the best player in the world, unbelievable and playing at a high level,” Alcaraz said. “I’m proud of how I dealt with the match and managed everything.”
Alcaraz saved two set points in the first set before going on to win. Sinner had won six consecutive finals before this defeat. Alcaraz has now won three consecutive matches against Sinner.
On his side, Sinner faces an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after being cleared of blame for twice testing positive for a banned substance in March.
Novak Djokovic called for the issue to be resolved quickly, criticizing the tennis anti-doping system’s “inconsistencies.”
