Jannik Sinner opened his arms in jubilation, Taylor Swift retreated to the VIP box disappointed. All the support of the pop superstar and numerous celebrity fans for Taylor Fritz was in vain. With an almost flawless performance, top favorite Sinner triumphed against the underdog for the first time at the US Open and destroyed the hopes of the home crowd for an American surprise tennis victory.
In a long, one-sided final, the 23-year-old Italian won 6:3, 6:4, 7:5 and celebrated his second Grand Slam title after the Australian Open in January. He was under special observation in the first tournament after his doping scandal. Sinner was acquitted shortly before the US Open after two positive doping tests in the spring.
Fritz, ranked 12th in the world, was defeated for long stretches in the first Grand Slam final of his career and missed out on the first title win by a male US tennis player in New York since Andy Roddick in 2003. He had ended Alexander Zverev’s dream of a first Grand Slam title in the quarterfinals.
Superstars support Fritz
Swift cheered Fritz on from a box, and next to her her boyfriend, football star Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, repeatedly raised his fist when the American scored points. Other stars such as Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman and singer Jon Bon Jovi were also sitting in the VIP box. But the support didn’t help.
“The crowd has been great so far in this tournament. Playing against an American in New York is not easy,” said Sinner shortly before entering the court. But the mood in the early afternoon remained rather dull until the middle of the third set and was no comparison to the electrifying atmosphere during Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus’s narrow victory against the American Jessica Pegula the previous evening.
Nervous start
Both players started nervously. In the very first game, Fritz thundered an overhead ball out of bounds and immediately conceded the break. But Sinner also made mistakes; a volley into the net cost him his serve – 2:2.
The South Tyrolean, however, presented himself as a much more consistent player. In contrast to his quarter-final victory over Alexander Zverev, Fritz could not rely on his otherwise strong serve. In the first set, he played far less than half of his first serves into the field, and Sinner took full advantage of this weakness. He broke his opponent’s serve three times, and after just 41 minutes he secured the win in the first set.
“I’ve waited so long for this. I love these moments,” said Fritz shortly before the match. But the 26-year-old seemed overwhelmed by the big opportunity. Unlike in the semi-final thriller over five sets against his US friend Frances Tiafoe, he was unable to put his opponent under constant pressure.
Sinner almost error-free in the second set
In the middle of the second set, fans began to chant “USA, USA” for the first time. But Fritz was still not inspired. With the score at 4:5 and his own serve, he was in trouble again. With a strong backhand down the line, Sinner won the second set and raised his fist to his fans in the stands, where pop star Seal was also sitting. The South Tyrolean only made one mistake in the entire set.
Fritz reared up again. When Sinner wobbled once and made a double fault, the American managed to break to 4:3. Now the atmosphere was worthy of a final. But Sinner struck back again, equalized again and showed his nerves of steel. After 2 hours and 15 minutes, he converted the match point and was able to celebrate.
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