Jannik Sinner’s bid to successfully defend his title at the 2024 China Open was thwarted by arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final. Following his narrow defeat, the World No. 1 sought comfort in his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya’s arms as the duo shared a tight embrace.

Sinner and Alcaraz set up a blockbuster title clash at the ATP 500 event in Beijing, locking horns in their 10th tour-level meeting. The match lived up to expectations as the Spaniard fought back from a 0-3 deficit in the deciding set tiebreak to claim a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory after a three-hour and 21-minute battle, which marked the longest encounter in tournament history.

With his win, Carlos Alcaraz took a 6-4 lead in his head-to-head against the Italian, having won all three of their most recent encounters. The 21-year-old will also replace Alexander Zverev as the new World No. 2, reviving his battle with Sinner for the year-end World No. 1 ranking as they head into the Shanghai Masters.

Although Jannik Sinner fell short in the final, the 23-year-old appeared in high spirits as he enjoyed his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya’s company after the match. Despite her fourth-round loss at the WTA 1000 China Open, Kalinskaya stayed back in Beijing to support Sinner, hugging him tightly in commiseration following his defeat.

Jannik Sinner after China Open final loss: “Feel privileged and honored to share the court with Carlos Alcaraz”

During his post-match press conference, Jannik Sinner expressed his appreciation for his intense rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, disclosing that competing against the Spaniard allowed him to identify the areas of improvement in his game. The World No. 1 also emphasized that it was a privilege to share the court with Alcaraz.

“Yeah, I feel like it’s always great when we meet, no? We try to push ourself and each other to the limits. He for me is a point of where I work. Also today I saw couple things where I need to get better,” Jannik Sinner said.

“It’s always nice to share the court with him. I feel like also the fans, they like it. Usually the matches are quite long, they’re physical, there are many turning points. Yeah, as I said, it’s always nice. Feel privileged and honored to share the court with him,” he added.

Apart from their riveting on-court rivalry, the duo also share a friendly bond off the court. Their camaraderie was displayed after the China Open final, as they took the same flight to Shanghai for the Masters 1000 event.

Following a first-round bye, Jannik Sinner will kick off his campaign against Taro Daniel in the second round. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz will battle it out against home favorite Shang Juncheng for a place in the third round.