By Marc McGowan
Jannik Sinner has dedicated his US Open title triumph to his seriously ill aunt after denying Taylor Fritz from becoming the first American men’s grand slam champion in 21 years.
The world No.1’s 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory in the final – which backed up his maiden major win at this year’s Australian Open – followed news of his dual positive doping tests becoming public knowledge on the eve of the tournament, which he conceded in a pre-event media conference was “not ideal” timing.
Beyond the condemnation of the secretive nature of the process, and whether Sinner received preferential treatment in the case being expedited and escaping a ban, the question was how he would handle the situation once the US Open began.
The early answer was not great.
Sinner lost a lopsided first set of the tournament to 140th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald, but dropped just one more for the rest of the fortnight, culminating in the straight-sets triumph over local hope Fritz, in front of celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Jon Bon Jovi.
The 23-year-old joined Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in bookending his season with victories at the Australian and US opens, becoming the first man and woman to do so since Mats Wilander and Steffi Graf in 1988.
Jannik Sinner kisses the US Open trophy after defeating Taylor Fritz.Credit: AP
“This title, for me, means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy,” Sinner said.
“I love tennis, I practice a lot for these kinds of stages, but I also realise that off the court there is a life. I would like to dedicate this title to my aunt because she is really not feeling well, health-wise.
“I don’t know how much I still have her in my life. It’s so nice that I can share a positive moment still with her. She was a very important person for my life, and she still is, so if that would be the biggest wish – I would wish the best health to everyone, but unfortunately, it’s not possible.”
Sinner spent considerable time with his aunt as a child when his parents were working, and she would look after him and even take him to ski races, for which he was a national junior slalom champion.
The Italian superstar, co-coached by Australia’s Darren Cahill and Italy’s Simone Vagnozzi, is still only halfway to Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz’s grand slam tally, but the rankings suggest he is a dominant No.1.
Taylor Fritz congratulates Jannik Sinner at the net after the final.Credit: Getty Images
Sinner will be more than 4000 points clear of Germany’s new world No.2 Alex Zverev when the rankings update, and joined Guillermo Vilas (1977) and Jimmy Connors (1974) as the only men in the Open Era to win their first two major titles in the same season.
“I understood, especially in this tournament, how important the mental part is in this sport, and I guess in every sport, so I’m very happy [and] very proud to share this moment with my team,” he said.
“I know there are a lot of people watching from home, but I would like to thank everyone for being so fair in this amazing arena. It was a huge pleasure.
“[This year was] incredible – so many big wins for me, starting off with Australia and playing so well there, which then gave me confidence for until now. But the work never stops. I know that I still can improve, as we saw today, a couple of things, but you have to be proud of what you have and the rest you have to go for it.”
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were among the celebrities at the final.Credit: AP
Alcaraz won this year’s French Open – including outlasting Sinner in a five-set thriller in the semi-finals – and Wimbledon titles, but lost in the second round at Flushing Meadows after a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open, where Sinner captured his first major triumph.
They are undoubtedly the two standout players of this next generation, which has the unenviable task of taking the torch from the “Big Three” of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
It is the first time in 22 years that none of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer won a grand slam.
Sinner’s worst slam result of the year was losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, illustrating the consistent excellence he has maintained despite having a potential drugs ban hanging over his head for six months.
Team Sinner quickly pinpointed the healing spray his physiotherapist – who was performing regular full-body massages on him – was using to treat a cut as the reason for him inadvertently testing positive to banned anabolic steroid clostebol.
Taylor Fritz reacting during the third set of the final against Jannik Sinner.Credit: AP
Also in Sinner’s favour was the minuscule amount of the substance in his system – a billionth of a gram – with an independent panel deeming it had no performance-enhancing effect.
Fritz was seeking to become the first American man to win a grand slam singles championship since Andy Roddick took out the 2003 US Open.
That drought will extend until at least next year’s Australian Open, the scene almost eight months ago for Sinner to rally from two sets down in the final to defeat Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Fritz was left in the same predicament after a spectacular down-the-line backhand from Sinner delivered him a two-set lead on the first break point of a high-quality second set that the American had otherwise cruised through on serve.
Jannik Sinner had a rocky start to the US Open – but prevailed in the final.Credit: Getty Images
Sinner was even better, hitting seven winners and just one unforced error in that second set.
The end seemed nigh when Fritz slipped to 15-40 in the sixth game of the third set.
That moment instead became the launching pad for Fritz to stake his claim in the match.
He won an absorbing 21-shot rally on the second of the break points he faced in that game, and went on to hold before heaping the pressure on Sinner in an aggressive return game and benefiting from a double fault to snatch a 4-3 lead.
Fritz served for the set three games later, but was instantly playing catch-up after tugging a forehand wide.
The set was soon locked at five-all when Fritz thudded a volley into the net.
Sinner wriggled out of a 30-all game for a 6-5 lead, then watched as Fritz poorly plunged a drive volley metres beyond the baseline to present a pair of championship points.
The Italian needed just one, with his American rival dumping one last forehand into the net.
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