Clinical Sinner sees off Fritz in straight sets to win US Open
The world No 1 beat Fritz in straight sets to claim his second Grand Slam title
Jannik Sinner, US Open 2024 – © Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/SIPA
Jannik Sinner is a two-time Grand Slam champion, with the Italian defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the US Open on Sunday in New York.
The US Open title is Sinner’s second major crown of the year, with the world No 1 winning the Australian Open earlier in 2024. He is now the first Italian player to win multiple slams in the Open Era, and becomes only the fourth man to win both hardcourt Grand Slams in the same season.
He is also just the fourth man in the past 50 years to capture his first two majors in the same calendar year. In doing so, Sinner moves to 55-5 for the season and rides a 12-match winning streak after claiming the Cincinnati Masters title ahead of the US Open as well.
Fritz was seeking to become the first American man since 2003 to win a major title. While he acquitted himself well in his first major final against world No 1 Sinner, the 23-year-old was far too clinical on serve, and pounced on any opportunity Fritz gave him in return.
“This title for me means so much, because the last period of my career was really not easy,” declared Sinner on-court after the match, who endured a positive drug test scandal in the weeks leading up to the US Open.
“I understood particularly in this tournament how important the mental part is in this sport. I would like to thank everyone for being so fair in this amazing arena.”
Breaks abound but Sinner pulls away
It was a slightly nervy start by Fritz, with Sinner having the better of a longer exchange and earning two break points in the opening game. A missed overhead on the second of those handed Sinner first blood in the first set.
The pair went toe-to-toe early – two 15+ ball rallies in the opening game, and several other long points in the first few games – with Fritz showing a willingness to take Sinner on in the baseline rallies. The Italian was largely getting the better of these exchanges, however, holding his own service game to love and building an early lead.
Fritz settled, holding his second service game to love. In Sinner’s next service game, the American really began to find his range, crushing a backhand return before earning an error from the Italian’s backhand wing to go up 15-40.
Sinner played both points smart, making dual first serves and limiting Fritz’s chances to attack. His opponent wasn’t going away, however, and when Fritz earnt a third break point chance, Sinner botched a swinging volley to put the match back on serve, 2-2.
In the fifth game, it was Fritz who prevailed in a long rally, with the 26-year-old winning a 26-shot rally to defend break point. It felt like an important hold as Fritz hit lines and even showed a good amount of emotion when he held serve for 3-2.
After being overwhelmed by Sinner early, Fritz looked to have worked his way into the set. He even had a look at the Italian’s serve at 3-2, 15-30, but the opening quickly disappeared courtesy of Sinner eviscerating a forehand cross court and Fritz netting a routine rally ball.
Sinner leveraged this momentum to gain two break points in Fritz’s next service game, helped along by a double fault at 15-30. A well-placed drop shot handed Sinner the game, putting him ahead 4-3, which quickly became 5-3 with a comfortable hold.
Serving to stay in the set, Fritz was undone by a ball from Sinner that clipped the back of the baseline. From 3-2, 15-30, suddenly the Italian had won 14 of the last 17 points, and was on the cusp of going up one set to love. An ace and another missed swinging volley gave Fritz hope that he could prolong the set, but Sinner closed out the game on this third opportunity to seal the opening set 6-3.
Sinner times his run perfectly
The second set was far less tumultuous than the opener. Both men were dominant on serve, holding routinely as Fritz’s first serve percentage noticeably improved and the error count was reduced.
It wasn’t until the 10th game, when Fritz was serving to stay in the set at 5-4, that either player had their first look on return. Sinner channelled his inner Daniil Medvedev and adopted a radically deeper return position. The change worked, and combined with Fritz missing more first serves than he had all set, the Italian brought up 15-40 and double set point.
Ultimately the set was decided by an extended backhand-to-backhand exchange, with Sinner redirecting up the line to win the point and go ahead two sets to love.
The defining statistic of the set, besides both men winning 80+ percent of their first serves? Sinner making just the one unforced error.
Fritz fights back but falls short in big moments
Just when it seemed as though Fritz may have had his spirit broken, the American came out and brought up triple break point in the first game of the third set. As quickly as the opportunities came, however, they went, with Sinner winning five points on the bounce to close out the game.
A host of routine holds followed as the set moved through to 3-2. In the sixth game, Sinner mirrored his deep return position, and earning a pair of break points. Fritz had to work hard to defend them, prevailing in a 21-shot rally to save the second before closing out the game with a vicious forehand winner.
From a potentially catastrophic break, to a momentum-building hold, suddenly Fritz had the American crowd behind him and more energy in Sinner’s next service game. He rode the wave, winning a brilliant point with a drop shot and lob combination to go up 30-15. That quickly became 40-15, with Fritz playing to the crowd now as he roared in celebration.
A double fault on break point from the world No 1 meant that despite appearing down-and-out just five minutes ago, it was Fritz who had a lead in the third set, 4-3 with his serve to come.
In the eighth game, Sinner crossed the double-digits mark of unforced errors, having hit just the one in the previous set. This helped Fritz consolidate his break at 5-3, but not without a little drama as he coughed up two double faults and a shanked forehand.
Now, it was Sinner’s turn to serve to stay in the set. He did so, asking the question of Fritz: could he deliver in one of the biggest service games of his career and force a fourth set in the US Open final?
Spoiler alert: he could not.
The American began with a missed forehand, falling behind 0-15. Great touch at the net levelled the game at 15-15, but another forehand error saw Fritz offer Sinner a half chance at 15-30. That soon became 30-30, before Sinner drew a break point chance off the back of a tough extended exchange ending in another Fritz error.
Despite Fritz hitting lines, Sinner claimed the break, levelling the match at 5-5.
Fritz had a chance to break straight back, but could not capitalise on 30-30, again wilting under the pressure of Sinner’s rally ball and hitting long. In a flash, it was the No 12 seed serving to stay in the match.
Again, the American’s serve under pressure came up short. Sinner quickly raced out to 0-30, which became 15-40 and two championship points when Fritz missed a swing volley. The top seed needed just one chance, winning a point typical of the match to seal his second Grand Slam crown: an extended exchange, ending in a Fritz error.
