Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz put on a show for the onlooking Beijing crowd yesterday, delivering the showpiece final that many had been craving for so long.
After all, throughout the year, various seedings have constantly put them both on the same side of the draw. This meant that the latest in a tournament that they could meet was always the semi-finals, where they contested in both Indian Wells and Roland Garros.
However, with Alexander Zverev absent from the China Open, the new second-seed Spaniard stormed into the final, where he would beat the world number one in a three-set slog.
However, despite the gruelling nature of their clash, there is clearly no love lost.
After all, Jannik Sinner would take to social media almost instantly after the match to offer his thoughts, sending a message to Carlos Alcaraz.
Writing on X, it read: ‘Congrats Carlos, fantastic week for you and your team! Super happy with this week, thank you Beijing, Shanghai next.’
Chris Evert also reacted to Sinner and Alcaraz’s final too, a magnificent affair that ran for more than three hours.
The friendly nature of their relationship, regardless of their rivalry, was further emphasised through what they also did straight after the China Open too…
Following their enthralling final, in which both superstars left it all out on the court, there was to be no time to revel in their respective triumph and defeat.
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Instead, the relentless tennis calendar simply drags on, with the Shanghai Masters 1000 event just around the corner.
In fact, both finalists in Beijing are due to be afforded just two day’s rest before they are forced back into action.
It’s no surprise that Iga Swiatek has criticised the tennis schedule many times before, as has Alcaraz, with this simply marking an unsustainable practice.
In an effort to share the journey across China, Sinner and his 21-year-old rival actually were pictured having hitched a plane together, whether it be to save money, time or the planet.
Regardless, it’s quite funny to see two competitors who just fought tooth and nail on the court no less than 12 hours earlier then sharing a flight to their next event where, once again, there’s every chance they might meet late on.
