World number one Jannik Sinner cruised to his second career Grand Slam title beating home favourite Taylor Fritz in the US Open men’s singles final 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday (8 September).
The Italian has been in a class of his own this season winning his maiden Slam crown at the beginning of 2024 at the Australian Open and now becoming the first Italian man to win the US Open. The 23-year-old also made the last four of the French Open and the quarter-finals of Wimbledon this season.
Fritz came into the contest with the weight of a nation on his shoulders looking to become the first American man since Andy Roddick to win a men’s singles major. Roddick won the 2003 US Open defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Sinner drew first blood, breaking Fritz in the opening game of the match before the American recovered the break in the fourth. The Italian ace broke again in the seventh and in the ninth to wrap up the first set.
Sinner found his groove in the second set playing with more confidence and accuracy while Fritz had to work hard for his points.
With only one unforced error in the second set, Sinner was in fine form finding the breakthrough in the final game of the set to give himself a 2-0 lead.
The third set was much of the same with Sinner bossing his American opponent around and holding his serve to keep the pressure on Fritz. Sinner came close to breaking in the sixth game, but Fritz saved three break points to keep the fight alive.
Backed by the local crowd, Fritz found some late defiant energy in the third set ultimately leading to a break in the sixth game.
As the match progressed, the home support became more vocal with Fritz growing more animated with each point.
But Sinner took the sting out of the partisan crown recovering the break to put the set back on even terms.
Sinner ended the contest in style breaking Fritz’s serve again to claim the crown in three sets before throwing his arms in the air in triumph.