Carlos Alcaraz is the new China Open champion after he beat Jannik Sinner in a thrilling final in Beijing.
Tennis icon Chris Evert loved the match between Alcaraz and Sinner, which the Spanish star won 6-7(6-8), 6-4, 7-6(7-3).
Daniil Medvedev named Alcaraz the best in the world after losing to him in the China Open semi-final, as Sinner edged past Yunchaokete Bu at the same stage.
The top two seeds then went head-to-head for glory in Beijing, with Sinner aiming to defend his title, having beaten Alcaraz on his way to the trophy in 2023.
But it wasn’t meant to be as second seed Alcaraz fought back to beat the world number one in thrilling fashion in the Chinese capital.
Boris Becker reacts after Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner in China Open final
He came behind from 0-3 down in the deciding-set tie-break to edge past Sinner in three-hours and 21-minutes.
The China Open fans loved the longest match in tournament history, as did tennis legend Boris Becker, who wrote on X: “Unbelievable match guys!!! The best we have got right now… high speed tennis.”
Carlos Alcaraz has upper hand in Jannik Sinner rivalry
With the victory, Alcaraz now boasts a 6-4 head-to-head record over Sinner, having won all three of their meetings in 2024.
It is, however, the Italian who remains in top spot in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, with Sinner going to be hard to catch.
Both players have already quickly moved on from Beijing in their quest for further success, having shared a flight to Shanghai for the Shanghai Masters.
China Open champion Alcaraz has been drawn to face Shang Juncheng in the round of 64, with Sinner taking on Taro Daniel.
The competition is full of star names, with the likes of Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic also in the hunt for Shanghai Masters success.
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