Carlos Alcaraz defeats world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in epic China Open final

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz defeated world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in an epic final at the China Open. This men’s final, characterized as a clash between two giants of tennis, lived up to expectations. Alcaraz claimed his 16th ATP Tour title, winning 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 after an intense three-set match filled with outstanding rallies, showcasing why they are two of the best players in tennis today.

Despite beating Sinner all three times this season, world No. 3 Alcaraz praised Sinner's high-quality play. "Jannik, once again, showed he's the best player in the world," said Alcaraz, 21, after the win.

Both players claimed two grand slam titles this year, with Alcaraz taking Wimbledon and the French Open, while Sinner won the Australian Open and US Open. Alcaraz initially took the lead in the final, with Sinner rallying to win the first set in a tiebreak before Alcaraz leveled in the second set, leading to a decisive third set. Despite Sinner's strong response, including an initial 3-0 lead in the tiebreak, Alcaraz won seven straight points to capture the title after three hours and 21 minutes, marking it as the longest match in tournament history.

"I’m very happy I made it, despite the close third set," said Alcaraz, who also became the first player to win ATP 500 titles on all three surfaces since 2009. Meanwhile, Sinner's defeat coincided with challenges off the court, following World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport about Sinner’s previous drug test issues. However, an independent tribunal and ITIA found no fault in Sinner, attributing the positive results to contamination.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Madrid Derby ended in a draw after the disruption.