Jannik Sinner wins U.S. Open title, joining rare group

Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, becoming the first Italian-born player to win the year's fourth and final grand slam. With the win, he completed a sweep of the hard-court majors, joining a shortlist of elites. 

The 23-year-old became only the fourth player to win the Australian Open and U.S. Open in the same year since 1987. The list includes Mats Wilander (1988), Roger Federer (2004, 2006, 2007) and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015, 2023), whom Sinner defeated during the semifinal round in Melbourne en route to his first career grand slam title.

On the other side, Fritz — the first American to compete for the U.S. Open title in 19 years — battled late but ultimately fell short. The streak without a U.S.-born champion rises to 22 years, something the understandably disappointed 26-year-old addressed after the loss.

"I know we've been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I'm sorry I couldn't get it done this time," Fritz said via the U.S. Open. "But I'm gonna keep working and hopefully I'll get it done next time."

With the No. 1 ranking locked up and two grand slam titles under his belt, this may only be the beginning for Sinner. This year alone, the young phenom proved capable of winning on the biggest stages and overcoming defeat, having knocked off emerging rival Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open quarterfinals after losing to him in the semifinals at Wimbledon.