In late August, World No.1 Jannik Sinner lifted his first ever U.S. Open title after defeating American Taylor Fritz in grueling yet thrilling straight sets. This victory marks an important milestone in Italian tennis history, as he is the first Italian to win the U.S. Open. After his win, not only was he recognized by the Italian community, but he was recognized by the world, with celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and Anna Wintour closely watching his match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sinner began the match with a powerful winning shot, setting the tone for his dominant performance. His aggressive playstyle resulted in Fritz continuously playing defense, constantly scrambling to hit the ball back. Sinner’s consistency, with an 88% first-serve win percentage, played a huge role in winning the match. Within the first two games, Sinner had already broken Fritz’s serve, showcasing his dominant strategy. A commanding backhand led him to win his second straight set, leaving him one set away from a trophy.
In spite of a challenging opening game in the third set, Sinner remained unfazed and came back from 0-40 to procure five straight points and win the second game. Fritz persevered through the third set, entertaining the crowd’s cheers, hitting shot after shot, but Sinner’s baseline and net performance were simply too powerful of a combination for Fritz. Ending with a fierce forehand, Sinner won the match 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, sending a strong statement to the tennis community.
Reflecting on his journey, Sinner said in his post-match interview, “This title means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy. I love tennis, I practice a lot for these stages.” First-time Grand Slam finalist Fritz spoke of Sinner’s complete dominance in the match saying, “He was too good.”
This victory brought an end to the difficult and controversial past few months for Sinner. On August 20, the tennis player tested positive for a small amount of clostebol, a prohibited steroid. It was cleared, however, due to a ruling that found it to be unintentional. Sinner explained that the incident was the result of a team member, who Sinner later fired. This scandal caused uproar and criticism around the tennis world, with some arguing that, regardless of the circumstances, Sinner should be held accountable. Several active players questioned the ruling. Some, including Nick Kygrios, even claimed that there were double-standards in comparison to previous rulings in which athletes still faced consequences for accidental doping.
The Italian has gone up the ranks over the past year, winning his first Grand Slam back in January. His consistent rise in rankings has caused the tennis world to recognize him as a promising young athlete, and the 23-year old is rapidly making a name for himself.
