On October 2, 2024, the China Open in Beijing saw a thrilling day of competition as Carlos Alcaraz, the second seed and four-time Grand Slam champion, claimed his first China Open men’s singles title with a victory over world number one Jannik Sinner. Meanwhile, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen made a remarkable comeback to defeat American player Amanda Anisimova, securing her spot in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz, products of the 2000s generation, are making waves in men’s tennis, having shared this year’s four Grand Slam titles between them. Their match at the China Open marked the tenth meeting in their careers, with Alcaraz holding a slight lead in their previous encounters, having won five of the nine matches.
In the final, Alcaraz set the tone early, breaking Sinner’s serve in the fourth game. However, Sinner quickly responded by breaking Alcaraz’s serve, pushing the set into a tiebreak that he ultimately won 7-6(6). The second set was a different story; after navigating a tough eighth game, Alcaraz broke Sinner again in the ninth game, taking the set 6-4 and leveling the match. The deciding third set featured another tiebreaker where Alcaraz initially struggled but rallied impressively to secure a 7-6(3) victory, recovering after falling behind by three points.
The match clocked in at an impressive 3 hours and 21 minutes, setting a new record for the longest men’s singles match in China Open history. With this win, Alcaraz not only earned his 16th tour title but also became the second Spanish player to win the China Open, following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal.
Reflecting on his hard-fought triumph, Alcaraz noted, “Both of us displayed high-level tennis. When you can beat the best player in the world, it shows you’re on the right path.” Sinner, acknowledging Alcaraz’s exceptional play, expressed his eagerness for future encounters in finals.
In the women’s singles, Zheng Qinwen faced off against Amanda Anisimova, having previously triumphed over her in a tough three-set match during a WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati earlier this year. The match unfolded similarly this time around. Zheng started off on the back foot, struggling with her service games and ultimately losing the first set 3-6. However, she regrouped in the second set, dominating 6-1 to bring the match back to even. In the final set, Zheng broke Anisimova’s serve three times, clinching the victory with a 6-2 scoreline and advancing to the quarterfinals.
In other matches that day, the top-seeded men’s doubles team of Bolelli and Vavassori claimed the men’s doubles title by defeating Wimbledon champions Heliovaara and Patten.
