Jannik Sinner failed to defend his ATP 500 title in Beijing. The world number 1 gave his all and came close to victory against his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, but he had to give up in the decisive tiebreak after an epic final lasting over three hours.
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The US Open champion has once again proved that he deserves the first position in the ATP ranking and never gave up in the third set, even when the Spanish ace had two chances to go ahead by two breaks. The 23-year-old from San Candido - who suffered only six defeats in 2024 - is playing the best season of his career and has a great chance to close out the year at the top of the ATP ranking thanks to his monstrous consistency. Despite reaching the final and Beijing, it was not an easy week for the two-time Grand Slam champion. Earlier this week, Jannik received news that WADA had appealed the ITIA acquittal ruling in the Clostebol case.
Despite all his disappointment at this WADA decision, Sinner continued to focus on the tennis court and came very close to winning his seventh title of his outstanding season. The Italian ace will try to win the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, where last year he stopped in the round of 16 against American Ben Shelton.
Jannik was amazing
The world number 1 has fought with everything he had today against a great Alcaraz, who was at times unplayable during the final of the ATP 500 in Beijing. "Great team, great family, I wish you all the best. Keep it up, it's a pleasure sharing the court with you (Alcaraz) Jannik said at the end of the match.
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The 23-year-old from San Candido was by far the most consistent player this year, having won two Majors (Australian Open and US Open), two Masters 1000 (Miami and Cincinnati) and two ATP 500 (Rotterdam and Halle). Sinner has shown a mental strength out of the ordinary for a 23-year-old player, considering he already had to face a long trial for doping. The next few months will be just as difficult for the 23-year-old from San Candido, who hoped to finally put this behind him.
During the press conference in Shanghai, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic commented on Sinners controversy: "I believe it's quite obvious that we have a system that isn't working, something that even people who don't follow our sport will realize. There are too many regulatory bodies, inconsistency in their decisions, and everything happening is not helping tennis at all. Jannik has won all three appeals he faced and now faces another trial. It must be very tough for him and his family.
What amazes me the most is seeing the impressive level of play he's displaying, winning most of the matches he plays despite being in a situation like this. I just hope this case can be resolved as soon as possible because everything that's happening is not good for our sport.
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Sinner is a true champion
Although he was defeated by Alcaraz in the final in Beijing, Jannik has a great chance to finish the season at the top of the ATP ranking. The Italian ace has a considerable advantage over his opponents in both the ATP Race and the ATP ranking, and there are few tournaments left at the end of the season.
"First of all, it's not a situation where I like to be in, no? It's a very delicate and difficult and also different situation," Jannik Sinner said after WADAs press release. "But what I know is that I always try to remind myself that I haven't done anything wrong, which already just gives you a little bit head up. For sure I had sleepless nights during this time. Now again it's going to be not easy," he added. It will most likely be necessary to wait several months before the final verdict, which should arrive in early 2025.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Andy Murrays former coach Miles Maclagan opened up on the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz: You discuss the differences between Alcaraz and Sinner and you say Jannik may be more consistent across the board, but Alcarazs best level may be better overall. His athleticism is phenomenal, the attitude is first class and his shot selection is very rarely wrong. You wonder if he is having a bit of fun at times, but you wonder if that is permitted in his game. I best players learn so quickly and maybe there are a couple of days when Alcaraz off, but he is getting better at that now.
