Sep 8, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Jannik Sinner (ITA) celebrates after defeating Taylor Fritz (USA) in the men’s singles final of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Italy’s Jannik Sinner was in complete control Sunday, winning the U.S. Open men’s singles title with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory over American No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz in New York.
It was Sinner’s second Grand Slam title of the year after Sinner took the Australian Open in January. The World No. 1 also extended the United States’ drought in Grand Slam events.
In addition to winning the first two Grand Slam titles of his career this year, Sinner reached the semifinals at the French Open.
The win also comes about three weeks after it was announced that Sinner tested positive for a banned steroid back in March, but would not be suspended because an independent tribunal determined he did not knowingly ingest it.
“This title, for me, means so much,” Sinner said after the match, “because the last period of my career was really not easy.”
The last American man to win a major title was Andy Roddick in the 2003 U.S. Open. Before Fritz, the last to play in a Grand Slam final was Roddick in 2009 against Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
Fritz advanced past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time before defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals to make it this far.
“Being an American at the U.S. Open is just incredible. Feeling the love all week, so thank you so much,” Fritz said. “I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working and, hopefully, I’ll get it at the next one.”
Sinner has now won 11 consecutive matches and is 55-5 in 2024 with six tournament titles.
Sinner set the tone early when he broke Fritz’s serve on the opening game of the match. Fritz got even, though, when he broke back at 2-2. But Sinner had another break to take a 4-3 lead and then won the opening set on another break of serve.
Sinner broke Fritz’s serve again to finish off the second set.
Fritz made his push in the third set, breaking Sinner’s serve to take a 4-3 lead. But Fritz broke back to even the match 5-5 and once more broke Fritz to finish off the third set and take the championship.
Fritz had 10 aces to six for Sinner, but the champion won 88 percent of his first-service points to 68 percent for his opponent. Sinner also saved five of seven break points.
–Field Level Media
