Alexander Zverev Wins the U.S. Open: The Implications for Jannik Sinner

Alexander Zverev won the U.S. Open. The German defeated Ben Shelton in four sets, 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2, in a match that lasted 3 hours and 33 minutes. For him, six years after his heartbreaking loss to Dominic Thiem in a final he dominated in the first two sets, this marks his second consecutive Grand Slam title following Roland Garros in Paris. And the repercussions of his triumph—the second by a German in New York 37 years after Boris Becker—also affect Jannik Sinner. The South Tyrolean champion remains No. 1 in the ATP rankings, though his rival is now just 1,810 points behind.

The picture is even bleaker when it comes to the race to the ATP Finals in Turin: in the Race leading up to the major end-of-season event, the Italian now trails his increasingly formidable opponent by 700 points. But keep an eye on the rest of the season as well: by the end of the year, Sinner will have to defend 3,550 points, while Zverev has just 1,080 points set to expire. A total of 5,250 points are up for grabs—enough to force the star from Sesto Pusteria to defend his world No. 1 ranking tooth and nail.

Reaching the top of the rankings is a goal that Zverev has openly stated he wants to achieve by November. The German, who has reached at least the semifinals in all four Grand Slam tournaments this season, made no secret of his ambitions even on the eve of the final: “Winning more Slams than Sinner and Alcaraz and reaching more Slam finals than them this year? I believed in it, absolutely. Maybe some of you believed the opposite,” he told reporters at the press conference with a smile. Words that today, in light of his second Grand Slam title of the season, sound like a prophecy come true.

While Zverev was celebrating at Flushing Meadows, Sinner was experiencing a turning point in his recovery. At the same time as the final, the world No. 1 left Turin and J-Medical, the center where he underwent rehabilitation for extra-articular tendinopathy in his right knee—the injury that forced him to miss the U.S. Open. “I’ve played almost no tennis. But I’ve received a lot of gifts, and I thank everyone,” commented the South Tyrolean, who will now move to Monte Carlo to continue working with coach Simone Vagnozzi. The recovery process followed specific phases: first, managing the inflammation; then, strengthening and stabilizing the joint; and finally, a series of on-court tests to assess the knee’s movements and reactions. The results have been encouraging.

The stated goal is to return to the court for the ATP 500 in Beijing, scheduled for early October—a tournament in which Sinner is the defending champion—though the final decision will depend on how his knee responds during his first few days of training in the Principality. More clarity should emerge ahead of Shanghai, another crucial event in the Asian season finale. Rafael Nadal spoke on the topic of injuries when interviewed by Sky Sport in Madrid: “I think these setbacks are normal; they’re due to the fact that professional athletes place too great a physical demand on themselves. After two or three years of such intense physical exertion, injuries can happen, and both of them need to factor that in. Let’s see how things develop for both of them, but it seems to me they’re doing very well.”