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Aha, Tumaini Carayol\u2019s report is with us. <\/p>\n
That means we\u2019re done here, but thanks all for your company and comments \u2013 not just tonight, but over the last fortnight. Peace out.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n After losing in Paris, Sinner got better at hitting when the ball bounces low; after losing at Wimbledon, Alcaraz improved his serve. The Italian now has the off-season \u2013 after the tour finals and so on \u2013 to try and add something to his return.<\/p>\n The problem is that Alcaraz has raised it these last two weeks, his shot-selection also of a different level to where it was even six months ago. Will Sinner be able to keep up?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n I meant to say this earlier \u2013 all apologies \u2013 but as a consequence of this win, Alcaraz is back as world no 1. It\u2019s been a decent day\u2019s work, all in all.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWow!\u201d he beings. Then, starting with Sinner he praises his opponent\u2019s consistency \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m seeing you more than my family!\u201d \u2013 saying what a pleasure it is to share the court, the locker room, and watch him improve.<\/p>\n Next, it\u2019s on to his team and family, who make him better as a professional and person; all of his achievements are thanks to them, and this win is theirs as well as his. He sends love to those who mean most to him \u2013 imagine being Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s little brothers! \u2013 then thanks the crowd and the energy they bring.<\/p>\n Finally, he thanks Stacey Allaster, departing as tournament organiser \u2013 Sinner did too \u2013 before collecting his cheque for $5m and the trophy. Carlos Alcaraz is brilliant at tennis; Carlos Alcraz is brilliant at being Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.55 EDT<\/p>\n Now here comes the new champ!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner looks pretty disappointed, as you might expect. He begins by congratulating Alcaraz and his team, acknowledging that the better man on the day is taking the trophy He then thanks his own team for understanding him, among other things, saying he tried his best but couldn\u2019t do more \u2013 it\u2019s a shame we can\u2019t hear him asked a little more about what that means \u2013 and all those who work hard behind the scenes. He can\u2019t wait to come back next year, but before he leaves he thanks the crowd, then off he goes.<\/p>\n Jannik Sinner speaks after being defeated. Photograph: Charly Triballeau\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.54 EDT<\/p>\n Jim Courier emerges, a man who knows a thing or two about an US Open-final pasting.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He calls upon Sinner to address the crowd.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner will look back at today and accept he can play much, much better. But he needs to find a way of targeting Alcaraz\u2019s backhand, because the fore was impregnable today. Righto, it\u2019s presentation time, Ivan Lendl leading.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Every time one of these raises the level, the other goes over the top with a re-raise. The difference today was Alcaraz\u2019s serving, improving in front of our eyes in real time, and if he can maintain his level \u2013 he was broken just three times in the tournament \u2013 it\u2019s hard to see how he can be stopped. Just as similar was so of Sinner after Wimbledon, and I can\u2019t wait to see what he comes up with in Melbourne. Today, though, Alcaraz was the better player and by far, offering up just one break point and melding solidity with creativity better than ever before. He celebrates with his team and it\u2019s a joy to behold \u2013 you can see they\u2019re all having an absolute time, which is exactly as it should be.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Carlos Alcaraz (2) beats Jannik Sinner (1) 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 to win the US Open<\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 4-6 Alcaraz* Alcaraz dashes out to serve: he\u2019s been ready for this moment since losing at Wimbledon, his good nature part of what makes him such a terrifying assassin, not a sign of weakness. He quickly makes 15-0 and a forehand winner 30-0, but a miss gives Sinner the sniff of a sniff. A drop comes next, the champ rushes in, flicks back cross \u2026 and wide! Two championship points Alcaraz! Sinner saves the first with a forehand to the corner \u2013 was he offered a slightly nervous ball to go at? \u2013 then a backhand return flies down the line for a winner, and that\u2019s deuce! Can the champ do what was done to him in Paris? A big serve, a backhand and overhead say not, Alcaraz laughing to himself in the aftermath \u2013 he\u2019s enjoying this! \u2013 and an ace out wide secures the title! Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> is, as they say in NYC, half-man, half amazing, and that is as wondrous a final performance as you can hope to see. A beautiful, devastating and precise display was far too good for Sinner, his modal level higher but his top level lower. He\u2019ll be back, but when the new champ plays like this, he\u2019s close to unbeatable. Every single one of us loves him, even Jannik Sinner, and that is the greatest tribute of all.<\/p>\n Alcaraz covers his eyes after winning match point against Jannik Sinner. Photograph: Sarah Stier\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.35 EDT<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 4-5 Alcaraz At 0-15, you fear for Sinner, who\u2019ll have known he might lose but would never have expected he might lose like this, outgunned as well as outplayed. He does, though, recover to 40-15 \u2026 only to go long on the backhand, and again, he\u2019s under pressure; in his box, the normally unflappable Darren Cahill stands with nerves, but Alcaraz nets a backhand meaning that after change of ends, he must serve for the championship. There\u2019s no sense whatsoever that he won\u2019t see it out, but no one would be surprised if he couldn\u2019t. How on earth do these guys keep themselves composed? I\u2019m in bits and I\u2019m sat on a seat eating sweets.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 3-5 Alcaraz* A(nother) big serve, 15-0; a(nother) big serve backed up by a swing-volley, 30-0. An ace follows, and I\u2019ve never seen Sinner out-hit like this, not even by Alcaraz. He holds to love and, given the opponent and given the context, this is one of the greatest serving performances I\u2019ve ever seen. The Spaniard is game away and, though he came back from a worse position to win in Paris, there\u2019s no sense this is on today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 3-4 Alcaraz Sinner badly needs a comfy hold here \u2013 he\u2019s not had one to love all match \u2013 but just as he looks set, Alcaraz makes 40-15. No matter: a return is swatted long and the champ is still in the match, just. Can he get something going before it\u2019s too late?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 2-4 Alcaraz* At 15-0, Alcaraz misses a forehand down the line, not words I\u2019ve typed often today, then Sinner climbs into two forehands of his own, making 15-30. But have a look! Alcaraz dematerialises an ace out wide, at 132mph too \u2013 his joint-fastest of the tournament \u2013 then another animal, supported by a forehand, allows him to kiss over a volley \u2026 before he astonishes another ace, this time down the T. Each time these two meet, one of them delivers a performance that ups the ante, and that\u2019s exactly what Alcaraz is up to here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.16 EDT<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 2-3 Alcaraz At 15-0, another ridiculous point, Alcaraz returning well then Sinner playing a fine volley on the stretch \u2026 only to send his follow-up wide, just. A service-winner follows, but a needlessly long forehand means that at 30-all, the champ is again shoved under the pump, and a double shows the extent to which he\u2019s feeling it. At break point, Alcaraz can feel the presence of the trophy, all the more so when given a second serve at which to go, and he plays the kind of rally Sinner likes to force when in control, keeping the ball in court so his desperate opponent has to go big \u2026 and the champ overhits a forehand! By a way! Alcaraz leads 2-1 3-2 with a break, and he\u2019s three holds away from the title! He\u2019s been near-perfect today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.11 EDT<\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 2-2 Alcaraz* At 15-all, Alcaraz powers down an ace at 131mph \u2013 that part of his game is improving in real time \u2013 but Sinner then wins a battle of improbable forehands, retrieving from out wide to go cross, the riposte missing, but only just. At 40-30, though, Alcaraz finds another first serve and it\u2019s enough for the hold; we\u2019re told that on those points, he\u2019s 34-5 for the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 2-1 Alcaraz At 15-0, Alcaraz scoops a forehand from centre to corner, his timing supreme. But Sinner keeps the head, skidding in to dispatch a volley, then clenching fist when a return is netted. From there, he closes out a more definitive hold, and this set is on a rolling boil.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 1-1 Alcaraz* Sinner will be feeling a little better after that, but at the same time will know he\u2019s currently second-best. So he tries to up the aggression, hitting harder towards the backhand, but Alcaraz is in really good control of himself, making 40-15 then toying with the champ, a drop, then a lob, then a pass securing a statement-hold. Almost immediately, pressure is transferred back to Sinner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 1-0 Alcaraz A mistake from Sinner hands over 0-15, but Alcaraz then goes long on the forehand; 15-all. Then, at 30-15, a monstrous forehand return facilitates the clean-up, and these next points feel crucial \u2026 all the more so when Alcaraz anticipates a backhand down the line, gets to it in time to unleash on the forehand, and when Sinner can\u2019t pass he has break point at 30-40. The champ, though, has the bottle and skill to clout a forehand on to the line \u2013 Alcaraz still almost gets it back in improbable fashion \u2013 then makes advantage, only to be diddled by a drop, the rapier and the broadsword deployed in equal measure. Back to deuce we go and a double follows, the pressure on the champ telling: the match might be here. So Sinner pays a delicious volley, Alcaraz sprints to retrieve, somehow getting it back \u2026 but the putaway is left and taken. Again, though, Sinner can\u2019t close out after making advantage, a backhand return to the ankles too good. This is so intense it puts Glastonbury to shame, Sinner restoring his ad with a one-two serve-backhand combo, then Alcaraz spanks a forehand flat and long; after 10 minutes, Sinner has his hold, surviving two break points in the process.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Carlos Alcaraz wins the third set 6-1 to lead Jannik Sinner 2-1<\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-6 Alcaraz* An ace out wide makes 15-0; a service-winner follows. And though Sinner then lands a return close to the line, seeing out the rally for 30-15, a backhand falls long to raise two set points, and an unreturned serve then secures things. That was a very serious set (of tennis) from Alcaraz, and Sinner needs two straight to retain his title.<\/p>\n Alcaraz reigns supreme in the third set. Photograph: Crist\u00f3bal Herrera\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.49 EDT<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 1-5 Alcaraz I think the major difference here is Alcraz\u2019s versatility: he can send Sinner running about the court, inventing angles, whereas Sinner tends to rely on straight-line power. At 15-0, a forehand to the corner, followed by a buggy-whip swing-volley winner \u2013 seriously! \u2013 makes Alcaraz 15-all. From there, though, the champ closes out avoiding the bagel and forcing the Spaniard to serve for set three.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 0-5 Alcaraz* Down 0-15, Alcaraz splatters an ace down the T, then scythes another out wide and on to the line; a wrong-footing forehand follows, and this is tennis so inspiring I want to cry, laugh and climb inside it for ever. From there, the Spaniard closes out, and he\u2019s a game away from 2-1.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 0-4 Alcaraz Sinner nets a forehand then slings another long and wide; he\u2019s in grave danger of surrendering this set. And when Alcaraz nails a return, then clobbers a forehand winner cross-court, he\u2019s three double-break points down. The first is saved when the Spaniard goes for too much, but that\u2019s what\u2019s brought him to this point, so he won\u2019t recriminate too much \u2026 and Sinner goes long with another forehand! Alcaraz breaks for the fourth time tonight, as many times as Sinner had been broke in the competition prior to tonight, and the third set is almost over. Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> is mesmeric.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 0-3 Alcaraz* Sinner quickly makes 0-30, and these are some crucial points coming up. The first looks over when Alcaraz schmeisses a forehand to the corner, but a tremendous get sends the ball bouncing deep, close to the baseline \u2026 and have a look! A bounce-smash, swinging away like it\u2019s come out of Wasim Akram\u2019s hand, makes 15-30, an ace follows, and more net sorcery secures the consolidation. Alcaraz salutes the crowd, back in control of this match, his ability to mine seams of genre-busting form like nothing we\u2019ve ever seen before.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 0-2 Alcaraz Between games, we see that in set two, Sinner sent way more balls to Alcaraz\u2019s backhand, which makes sense: the forehand was controlling the match. And, as I type, a cross-court return makes 0-15, then further aggression earns 0-30; naturally Sinner soon levels things, the look on his face that of a man who knows. But when he sends a backhand wide, Alcaraz has break point, noising up the crowd to get himself going while upping the pressure on the champ, who serves massively \u2026 but Alcaraz punishes a forehand return … and Sinner sticks his putaway wide! That\u2019s the stress of playing this man for this trophy, and for the third srt in a row, we\u2019ve an early break!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 6-3 0-1 Alcaraz* In the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz won set one before Sinner settled and took the next three; I wonder if we\u2019ll see something similar here, consistency outlasting creativity. I certainly get the sense that the Spaniard needs to win from the front \u2013 I can\u2019t see him coming back from 2-1 down \u2013 and at 30-all, he absolutely devastates a buggy-whip forehand that elicits the loudest \u201cVamos!\u201d we\u2019ve enjoyed in a while. Sinner then nets, and that\u2019s a really important hold secured.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Jannik Sinner takes the second set against Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 to level the match at one-all<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 6-3 Alcaraz A forehand winner but then a forehand sent long; 15-all, and Sinner can\u2019t get away. But Alcaraz is unusually tentative when sent a second serve and, though he works his way into the rally with further loopy forehands, a drop allows sinner into the net, and he kills the point from there. A big serve then makes 40-15 before Alcaraz overhits a swing-volley, and that\u2019s a set apiece. Sinner didn\u2019t play as well as his opponent did in the first, but the early break and solid serving did the trick. I\u2019ve not a clue what\u2019s going to happen next; good!<\/p>\n Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after winning the second set. Photograph: Matthew Stockman\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.42 EDT<\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 5-3 Alcaraz* Serving to stay in the set, Alcaraz nets a forehand, but a booming T-serve makes 15-all; an ace out wide follows behind. Next comes a service-winner then after an error, then another service-winner. Alcaraz has lost just 10 points on his serve all match; the problem he has is that four were in the same game, which is why Sinner will now serve for a set apiece.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 5-2 Alcaraz Oh! Sinner frames one for 0-15, but Alcaraz then goes long on the backhand to end a rally of rare brutality, remonstrating with himself thereafter. He does, though, make 15-30 when the champ strays long, only to net when readying himself to unleash. From there, he closes out, and there are two differences in this set: Sinner\u2019s second serve is much improved, while Alcaraz\u2019s forehand isn\u2019t as hot.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 4-2 Alcaraz* There\u2019s something profoundly moving about two young people captivating the world with their brilliance; in the sense that by watching them, we\u2019re participating in art and history at the same time. At 15-0, Alcaraz pats a volley wide, but he then tickles a beauty over the net for 30-15; Spike Lee loves it, and there\u2019s little greater praise than that. From there, the game is quickly closed out, and might we be reaching the surprisingly elusive stage of both players playing well at the same time?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 4-1 Alcaraz Sinner opens the game with a double, but at 40-15 thuds a forehand into the net and faces stress. But he knew if he kept calm, he\u2019d warm as Alcaraz cooled and that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening: to secure the game, he bangs away from the back, and there\u2019s been a change in his body language over the last 15 minutes or so.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 1-1 in the second,\u201d returns wa Bryan.<\/p>\n Photograph: Bryan Armen GrahamShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.56 EDT<\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 3-1 Alcaraz* Alcaraz misses a forehand for 0-15, something for Sinner to build on \u2026 and he does, monstering a forehand return, laying a drop, and cleaning up at net. He raises his arm, a signal that he feels part of this match now, then Alcaraz goes long on the backhand and the champ has his first break points of the match! And he only needs one, a forehand to feet reversing momentum in the rally before a forehand pass seals the deal! It is scientifically, biologically impossible for these two not to deliver us a classic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 2-1 Alcaraz A backhand slice then a backhand down the line help Alcaraz make 0-15, but he\u2019s then outhit from the back for 15-all. An ace out wide follows, then a wrong-footing forehand, and is Sinner growing into this? He holds comfortably, and it feels like we\u2019re building to the match\u2019s next juncture-point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-6 1-1 Alcaraz* Thirteen service-points in a row for Alcaraz, who holds to love. Sinner is hanging in there, hoping his level drops.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are still significant queues of spectators waiting to get inside Ashe, returns wor Bryan. The get-in-the-door price for a single ticket on the resale market today was about $600.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.37 EDT<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 1-0 Alcaraz \u201cA lot of boos,\u201d reports Laura Robson on the crowd reaction to a shot of Trump. Meantime, Sinner seeks to get himself going but at 30-15, a netted forehand is followed by a double, and Alcaraz will be inhaling the deep stench of opportunity. All the more so when a cunning forehand switches momentum in the next rally, and at 30-40, Sinner must find something because if he doesn\u2019t the match might just disappear before he\u2019s participated in it. And he does, a brave second serve helping him to deuce before a crucial hold is secured.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve ever felt so ambivalent about watching a sporting event before, writes Jonathan Gresty. \u201cHere we have two young wizards performing near miracles of dexterity and acrobatics and in their presence is pretty much the biggest lump of odiousness in the free world wearing his horrible suit (and equally horrible tie) basically being enabled by the whole sporting community to lord it over us all by sitting there in all his bloated pomp and vanity.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a state of affairs, isn\u2019t it. Sport is, I\u2019m afraid a victim of its own success, so brilliant that the worst people in the world are eager to co-opt it, though the supine submission of its leaders \u2013 not restricted to tennis or to today \u2013 is an unnecessary blight on our civilisation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.39 EDT<\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz takes the first set against Jannik Sinner 6-2<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-6 Alcaraz More forehand wizardry makes 30-0, then Alcaraz comes in and spreads, almost like he\u2019s offering Sinner out; the attempted pass hits the net. And from there, an unreturned serve secures a domineering 6-2 set; it\u2019s not humanly possible to play much better than that.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the better tennis player,\u201d is Coach Calv\u2019s summation of what we\u2019ve seen so far. \u201cHas more of everything other than straight-line power.\u201d<\/p>\n And he\u2019s plenty of that \u2013 especially today. His forehand has been immaculate, his use of it so intelligent.<\/p>\n Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts after a point against Italy’s Jannik Sinner. Photograph: Charly Triballeau\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.03 EDT<\/p>\n *Sinner 2-5 Alcaraz Goodness, at 15-all, Alcaraz stops in the point, digging out a fine pass on the stretch from behind his arse. But when the ball sits up, you expect Sinner to stick it away, only he swats wide and again, is under pressure \u2026 all the more so when Alcaraz ups pace on the forehand, flat and close to the baseline. At 15-40, he has two break, almost set points, and a second serve at which he can go. Unusually, he tamely flaps into the net but, when Sinner comes it his attempted pass is there for the putaway volley \u2026 but the champ nets! He\u2019s not at it here, and after change of ends, Alcaraz will serve for a dominant first set, his forehand controlling the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sinner 2-4 Alcaraz* Alcaraz is so burly, but his hands are so deft; what a combination. And at 30-0, with Sinner well in the point, he shows us the same again, a forehand spinning cross-court into the corner; a service-winner follows. Sometimes, he looks a little lost in the supermarket, slightly unsure what to choose given the multitude of options, but so far today he\u2019s in perfect control of himself.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n *Sinner 2-3 Alcaraz At 0-15, Alcaraz comes in, contorts, and takes a volley off his tootsies for a clean winner, racket pointed down, Edberg-style, to break the sideline; that is beautiful. Sinner responds with a big serve, then punishes a forehand to the corner to restore parity, and from there he secures his hold. He\u2019s second-best for now, but he\u2019s still playing pretty well.<\/p>\n I was thinking of Rybakina as well,\u201d says Cynthia Meredith, \u201cbut you make a valid point about her consistency. I\u2019d also add 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva based on her talent level and commitment to improving her game, but if you\u2019re literally speaking of slam wins in the next few years, Andreeva might still be a bit young.\u201d<\/p>\n I agree. I love Andreeva \u2013 not just her talent but her attitude \u2013 and take very seriously the opinion of Conchita Martinez, her coach, who thinks she\u2019s ready. But I can\u2019t see that it\u2019s imminent, though I can see her beating the top players at majors.<\/p>\n