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.

Sinner and Kalinskaya will be busy with their professional duties for the remainder of the Asian swing, as the Italian will be in action at the Shanghai Masters, while the Russian battles it out for the WTA 1000 title at the Wuhan Open.