“The margins are very small” – Sinner not discouraged by Alcaraz loss
The Italian is already focused on making a deep run in Shanghai
Jannik Sinner, China Open, 2024 © Imago / Panoramic
When Jannik Sinner lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open on Wednesday in Beijing, the Italian had to process a rare emotion: defeat.
Only six times in the last 12 months had Sinner walked away from a tennis match unsuccessful, with the 22-year-old winning more than 90 percent of his matches.
So when Alcaraz handed Sinner his seventh defeat of the last year, it’s understandable that the world No 1 isn’t reading into the loss too much.
“It was not my day,” remarked Sinner after the 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3) loss to Alcaraz. “He played better in important moments. That’s it. I’m proud again of a great week, making finals here.”
He continued with his analysis of the match that snapped a 16-match winning streak, concluding that the outcome ultimately revolved around small margins.
“Today all three sets, they were very tough physically. It was a long match. The third set was decided by very, very little points, small points. They went his way.
“The margins are very small. In the tiebreaks, the small margins, they seem very big. That’s it. You have to accept it. You have to keep working on a couple of things. I won many tiebreaks in the last period of time. This one, it went away.
“That’s it, no? It’s all good.”
Sinner looking ahead to Shanghai already
One of the heartwarming storylines to emerge from the conclusion of the China Open was a picture shared by Sinner’s team, revealing that he and Alcaraz had shared a private jet between Beijing and Shanghai, where they will compete in the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the season.
But just because the sport’s hottest young talents are friendly enough to split a ride, doesn’t mean that Sinner is taking his foot off the gas in 2024.
“We try to keep building and working for the rest of the season,” revealed Sinner before heading to Shanghai.
“Now in the next tournament, it’s a very important tournament for me because it’s only the second time I play there, but I haven’t reached the final stages of the tournament yet. It’s already trying to concentrate there and hopefully finishing off the season in a very positive way.
“Shanghai is completely different because the situation is different. Hopefully I get into rhythm quite fast. For sure it’s going to be a tough first-round match. Every tournament is difficult to play first rounds.”
Should Sinner go deep in Shanghai, he will all but secure the year-end No 1 spot, with his place in the ATP Finals already booked next month.
