The world number one Jannik Sinner easily defeated Taylor Fritz to win the US Open and complete the year with two Grand Slam victories.
Sinner, who captured his maiden major championship in January at the Australian Open, won 6-3 6-4 7-5 despite a late surge by American 12th seed Fritz. This victory happened just 19 days after it was reported that, in March, he had twice tested positive for a prohibited substance and had been cleared of all charges.
In a social media post, the athlete said: “Incredibly special to win my second slam title here after a great two weeks. Thank you for all the support, it means so much. I love this sport and it means everything to me, time to enjoy this moment with my team and my family before we get back to work for the end of the year 👊🏼. The work never stops, we keep pushing.”
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Highlights of the match
Fritz had a rough start in the first game as he dropped service in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. The 26-year-old bounced back nicely to win three straight games, but he kept making mistakes when serving, and Sinner took advantage to win the first game.
Fritz improved and made the second set closer, dropping just two points in four service games. But Sinner then demonstrated why he was the best in the world by stepping up his game, striking the winning blow as Fritz served to tie the set at 5-4.
After missing three early third-set breakpoint opportunities, Fritz enthralled the crowd with two spectacular winners to break for a 4-3 lead and save his hopes. But after two hours and sixteen minutes, Sinner put an end to Fritz’s hopes by breaking back just as he was about to serve for the set, and then winning the next two games.
Sinner making history
Sinner has become the first player to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season since Guillermo Vilas in 1977. Furthermore, he is the first Italian man to win Flushing Meadows’ singles championship.
Sinner and his alleged use of illegal drugs
It was reported by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that Sinner was unintentionally tainted by his physiotherapist and was, therefore, not at fault or negligent for the adverse tests.
Source: BBC