Sinner Shuts Down American Hopes at US Open

Jannik Sinner started slowly at the US Open, dropping the first set he played after being exonerated in a doping case no one knew about until shortly before play began at Flushing Meadows. If that episode initially hung over him during the tournament, Sinner was able to put it aside while on court. The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 with his typical relentless baseline game to win the men's championship at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, less than three weeks after word emerged of his two positive drug tests, the AP reports. "This title, for me, means so much," said Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, "because the last period of my career was really not easy."

He won the second Grand Slam trophy of his nascent career—the other was at the Australian Open in January—and prevented No. 12 Fritz from ending a major title drought for American men that has lasted 21 years. Andy Roddick's triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2003 was the last Slam title for a man from the US. "Being an American at the US Open is just incredible. Feeling the love all week. So thank you so much," Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, said during the trophy ceremony. Still, this tournament was a success in many ways for US tennis, with two women and two men from the country all reaching the semifinals for the first time at a major since the 2003 US Open. Jessica Pegula reached the women's final before losing Saturday to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sinner improved to 55-5 with a tour-high six titles in 2024, per the AP. The world found out on Aug. 20 that Sinner had tested positive twice in an eight-day span for trace amounts of an anabolic steroid in March but was cleared because his use was ruled unintentional—the banned substance entered his system via a massage from a team member he later fired. Fritz enjoyed something of a home-court advantage on a cool afternoon under a nearly cloudless sky, including occasional chants from the crowd of "USA!" But Sinner closed the match out with a four-game run. When it was over, Sinner raised his arms, threw his head back and closed his eyes. "He was too good," Fritz acknowledged.

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