After the chaos and the queuing, the waiting and the booing, eventually farce gave way to beauty as Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open with a performance to snatch the breath from one’s lungs.
The 22-year-old Spaniard took down his great rival Jannik Sinner in four sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, dethroning him as world No1 in the process. He takes home a sixth Grand Slam title, a second here in New York, and five million bucks.
Alcaraz’s performance in the first set was as close as you can get to tennis perfection and yet – disgracefully – thousands of ticketholders were denied the chance to watch it.
The visit of President Donald Trump meant an enormous increase in security, with the 22,000 fans funnelled through airport-style security gates. With lines snaking throughout the grounds, the United States Tennis Association was forced to delay the start of the match by half an hour.
Even with that, there were still hundreds queuing at the security gates well into the second set.
‘For the final to be postponed because of this is absolutely insane,’ said Martina Navratilova on Sky Sports. ‘People have paid thousands of dollars for these tickets. It was half empty at the start, normally this place would be rocking.’
Carlos Alcaraz claimed his sixth Grand Slam with a dominant win over his great rival Jannik Sinner
The Italian had little answer for Alcaraz’s stunning ball striking throughout the clash
Trump was there in plenty of time, of course, shepherded through by the secret service. He was shown on the screen during the national anthem – saluting away – and there was a mixed crowd reaction. After the first set he was given another airing and this time there was no mistaking the local feeling – he was roundly booed, with a few cheers thrown in.
Doubtless there was enough for Mr Trump to spin into a glorious reception; plenty for his opponents to claim as a barracking; such is the way these days in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The president applauded as the players walked on court but then sat as if carved out of granite, showing not a glimmer of reaction to the feats of skill and athleticism which were performed before him.
In the third set, Alcaraz won one of many sublime rallies and cupped his ear to the crowd who screamed for him in adoration. As if in response, Trump rose from his seat and moved into the rear of the suite. It was as though he could no longer countenance the attention being drawn away by a man who, in his kindness, talent and youthful guilelessness, is his very antithesis.
Enough of the leader of the free world; to the battle to be leader of the tennis world. Strange to think that four months ago, Sinner and Alcaraz, while recognised as the two best players in the world, had never met in a Grand Slam final.
That changed in epic fashion at the French Open, when Alcaraz saved three match points to win one of the best finals of all time. At Wimbledon Sinner exacted revenge and now came the trilogy fight in New York, as these two became the first duo in the Open Era to contest three Grand Slam finals in a single year.
It was not only the fans who were disrupted. The players were asked to arrive early because of the presidential visit – Sinner got in at 9.30am, Alcaraz 45 minutes later – and then came the delay. Their preparation: food, practice, stretching, will have been finely calibrated around the 2pm start time.
Sinner began like a man who had been kicking his heels for half an hour; Alcaraz like an animal straining at the leash. He flew at Sinner with tooth and claw, breaking in a brilliant opening game.
US President Donald Trump was there in plenty of time, of course, shepherded through by the secret service
In the third set, Alcaraz won one of many sublime rallies and cupped his ear to the crowd who screamed for him in adoration
Sinner began like a man who had been kicking his heels for half an hour; Alcaraz like an animal straining at the leash
He held with one of his specialities: angling the racket as if for a forehand drop shot before driving the ball into the corner instead. Delightful. Even that was not enough to draw a reaction from Trump, who sat as if carved from stone.
There was a traditional drop shot to seal a hold of serve for 3-1. There was a half-volley winner picked up off his laces for a delicious winner. And still the 79-year-old sat unmoved – come on Donald wake up!
No one can synthesize such violence with such delicacy. He hits forehands like a Katz deli-counter man hacking salt beef; caresses drop shots like a Nobu sushi chef applying a glaze of soy sauce.
What Alcaraz did better than at Wimbledon was vary the height, spin and speed of his shots – it threw Sinner off his metronomic rhythm.
Sinner was comfortably second-best thus far but kept his head above water, saving a break point in the first game of the second set. The Italian then played a brilliant game to break and Alcaraz began to overhit. One set all.
After that brief intermission, the Alcaraz show resumed. He moved into a 3-0 lead with one of the rallies of the match – sliding into the net to pick up a drop shot then cutting away a forehand volley winner. He cupped an ear to the crowd, whipping them up with his racket. As if in response, Trump upped sticks and walked out, with his full coterie in tow. Are you serious Mr President? All this hullabaloo for two sets and a half?
The clan decamped to the back of the suite as Alcaraz swept into a two set to one lead. Sinner had struck just a single winner in that third set, becalmed by the majesty of Alcaraz.
In the fourth set, Sinner double faulted and then blasted a forehand long to concede the break – and Trump re-emerged for the last knockings.
Alcaraz was impeccable. He hit 40 winners and just 24 unforced errors. Sinner was let down by his serve
Sinner will lick his wounds – he has felt abdominal pain here – and come again at the Australian Open, when it would be a significant shock not to see those two in the final again. Hopef
As has become the done thing between these two, there were match points saved – two superb winners from Sinner.
But Alcaraz got him in the end, finishing with a 10th ace of the match, then did his customary golf club celebration – right in the direction of the president.
Alcaraz was impeccable. He hit 40 winners and just 24 unforced errors. Sinner was let down by his serve, which has not been right all tournament. He landed only half of his first serves and that was never going to cut it.
The 24-year-old will lick his wounds – he has felt abdominal pain here – and come again at the Australian Open, when it would be a significant shock not to see those two in the final again. Hopefully in Melbourne there will be no surprise guests.
