Jannik Sinner's US Open triumph means he and Carlos Alcaraz will end the year with two major titles each, and the Italian reacted to that news.
It had already been an incredible year on the court for Sinner before the US Open. He won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, secured two ATP Masters 1000 titles, and became the world No. 1.
Despite those outstanding achievements, there was attention on Sinner heading into the US Open for less favorable reasons after it was revealed he had tested positive for the banned substance clostebol twice in March.
Although Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing and avoided a ban, many expressed outrage that the case had been kept private for so long. They felt he had been treated favorably compared to other accused players. Others defended Sinner, though.
That ordeal meant few fans and analysts made the Italian the favorite to win the US Open men's singles title before the tournament began. Overcoming the stresses of the news of his case coming out seemed like a lot to overcome.
However, Sinner confounded expectations by storming to his second major title at the US Open. He defeated Taylor Fritz in a one-sided final to reign supreme at Flushing Meadows with his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya in the stands watching him.
The 23-year-old's run in New York also extended his lead as the No. 1 player in the world. Sinner has many points to defend between now and the end of the season, but it will still be challenging for anyone else to overtake him.
Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon, creating a perfect split this year between the Spaniard and his rival Sinner. It is also the first time since 2017 that Novak Djokovic has failed to win a Grand Slam title during a season.
Sinner thinks having a new generation of champions is positive for tennis and says he, Alcaraz, and the other players in that generation push each other to improve.
“It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions. The new generation, we push each other, trying to improve. Then obviously there are a lot of players who we first have to beat to play against the best players in the world. There are a couple of upsets lately. Just trying to stay focused on my own path."
The World No. 1 also acknowledged that his success creates increased expectations and enhanced pressure. However, Sinner welcomes this and thinks something is missing if there is no pressure to succeed.
"I’d say pressure is something nice to have. If you don’t have pressure, it means something is missing. It doesn’t matter what tournament you play in, the pressure is always gonna be there."
"So I’m happy about that. Privileged to be in this position. The work is never done. There are always players who are gonna push you to the limit. I’m just looking forward to my process."
Sinner's two Grand Slam titles prove he is adept at handling pressure. He and Alcaraz are bound to get even better in future years, which could create one of the greatest rivalries in sporting history.
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