Carlos Alcaraz overlooked Novak Djokovic by describing Jannik Sinner as the best player on the planet after beating him in the China Open final. The Spaniard pulled out all the stops to defeat his rival in three sets and claim the trophy for the very first time.
Sinner took the first set despite nursing an apparent injury, having been spotted touching his knee and showing signs of discomfort. Alcaraz went on to level up in the second before edging the third set with seven straight points in the decisive tiebreak.
It saw Alcaraz extend his impressive recent record against Sinner, having beaten him at Indian Wells and the French Open earlier this year.
Speaking after the match, the reigning Wimbledon champion suggested his Italian rival had surpassed Djokovic as the undisputed number one in men’s tennis.
“He could win in two, I could win in two, he could win in three, I mean, it was a really close match,” said Alcaraz. “He showed that he is the best player in the world, at least for me.
The level he is playing at is unbelievable, really high quality of tennis. Physically and mentally, he is a beast. I had my chances in the first set but didn’t make it. I’m proud of myself with how I played the match and managed everything.
“To be able to come back has been really good. I’m really happy. I gave myself the chance to keep going and play aggressively and I’m really happy that I made it.
