Jannik Sinner defeats Taylor Fritz, becoming the first Italian to win the US Open title

Jannik Sinner became the first Italian man to win the US Open title as he defeated home favorite Taylor Fritz on Sunday. Sinner, who secured his second Grand Slam of the year, provided Fritz no chance to gain an edge as the American faced defeat in straight sets. The year for Sinner began with him winning the Australian Open. However, this Grand Slam success was followed by a low period that included the World No. 1 facing doping charges. During the Indian Wells tour, Sinner tested positive for a metabolite of clostebol, a banned substance. As a tribunal investigated his case, Sinner was cleared of all charges in August, but not before he was stripped of the prize money and points he had earned at the Indian Wells Tour.

Jannik Sinner wins the US Open in front of a star-studded crowd

After triumphing at the Cincinnati Open, Sinner arrived in America with hopes of securing his second Grand Slam title. The event saw early exits from Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, with the latter citing fatigue from his Paris Olympics gold medal-winning performance as the reason for his subpar showing at the US Open. With their departures, Sinner saw a clear path to the title. On his journey to the top, he defeated his Australian Open final opponent Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals this time. He then overcame American Jack Draper in a dramatic semifinal that saw Jannik Sinner narrowly avoid a wrist injury.

In the final, Sinner delivered a dominant performance in front of Fritz's home crowd, which included notable figures such as Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Dustin Hoffman, Anna Wintour, Matthew McConaughey, and Patrick Mahomes, among other recognized faces. Despite the support for Taylor Fritz, it did not deter Sinner from becoming the first-ever Italian titleholder. Fritz’s loss, having reached the final after defeating his American compatriot Frances Tiafoe, means that the wait for an American US Open title winner will extend beyond two decades.

At the US Open final at Ashe Arthur Stadium on Sunday, Sinner defeated Fritz in straight sets: 6-3, 6-5, 7-5. While Sinner was never subjected to the crowd’s scrutiny, the audience occasionally chanted “USA” as Fritz won points during the match. However, the crowd factor played little to no role for the 23-year-old, as he dashed the collective American hope of winning the US Open title.

“This title, for me, means so much,” said Sinner. “Because the last period of my career was really not easy,” he added.

“Incredible, no? So many big wins for me this season. Starting off with Australia and playing so well there which gave me confidence till now,” the 23-year-old added. “The work never stops. I know I can still improve. As we saw today, a couple things. You have to be proud of what you have. The rest, you have to go for it and work for it. I can’t wait for my continued process," Sinner rounded off.

Jannik Sinner lands in the league of the Big 3 with his second Grand Slam victory in 2024

With the 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz winning Wimbledon and Roland Garros this year, it is the first time since 1993 that all four Grand Slam titles have been shared by players under the age of 23. Additionally, Sinner achieved the distinction of being the first No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings to win the US Open since Rafael Nadal in 2017. The Italian is now undefeated in tour-level finals in 2024, with a perfect 6-0 record. Specifically noting, Jannik Sinner is only the third player in the open era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same year, the other two being Jimmy Connors (1974) and Guillermo Vilas (1977).

Furthermore, he has joined the elite group of only five active players to secure multiple Grand Slam titles. In the ongoing era, the list of players who have captured multiple major titles in a single season has been limited to the exceptionally dominant Big 3 consisting of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nada. A recent entrant is noted to be the 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year. Jannik Sinner now joins this prestigious group. At just 23 years old, he is quickly establishing himself as a future Hall of Famer.