While Alcaraz suffered a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open over the summer, Wednesday’s victory suggests he is back on track and playing his best tennis towards the end of the year.

For Alcaraz, Wednesday was the first China Open title of his young career, and he also defeated the defending champion when Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 China Open final.

The 2024 season was a standout year for the 21-year-old, notable for the French Open and Wimbledon titles, bringing his career total of Grand Slam singles titles to four. He also won a silver medal in men’s singles at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Sinner had a spectacular year himself, rising to world No. 1 and winning the first two Grand Slam singles titles of his career at the Australian Open and the US Open.

The momentum seemed to be entirely on the Italian’s side heading into the China Open, as he went the distance at the US Open and beat American Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the final.

In comparison, Alcaraz lost in the second round to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, ending his tournament much earlier than anyone could have expected.