23-year-old Sinner and 21-year-old Alcaraz have quickly established themselves as two of the tennis world's absolute biggest stars.
And those who sat down to watch the two go head-to-head will not have been disappointed.
It was a really even match in the Chinese capital. Italian Sinner took home the first set in a tiebreak 7–6 (8–6) – this after saving three set points.
"A very even match"
In the second set, Spaniard Alcaraz bounced back and won with the score 6–4.
The third set was also extremely even. Well into the tiebreak, Sinner went up 3–0 before Alcaraz then clenched his fist and turned it around. The score in the tiebreak was 7–3 to Alcaraz, who could then shout out his joy.
It was a very even match. Jannik is the best player in the world and the level he plays at is completely incredible. It was a match with high quality, says Alcaraz in the TV4 broadcast.
He continues:
I'm proud of myself.
Risks two-year ban
For Sinner, the tournament was played in the shadow of the doping case that has now taken a new turn. Sinner tested positive for doping twice in March. His explanation – that he had ingested the anabolic steroid clostebol when his physiotherapist, who had injured his finger and used a cream, massaged him – was accepted and led to his acquittal. Since then, he has been able to continue playing as usual and won the US Open for the first time just under a month ago.
But last week, the anti-doping organization Wada appealed the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Cas. Earlier in the tournament, Sinner gave his view on the matter:
We can't control everything. Clearly, I'm disappointed and surprised, he said.
Sinner risks being banned for two years.
