the Athletic's story on the final. link should work for all, but I thought this part was good: It was a final that showcased their personalities and the rivalry’s dynamic, as well as their ludicrous shotmaking abilities. Sinner was generally steadier, but in being so, he showed the world that his base level of tennis is borderline ridiculous. Alcaraz, whose floor is less secure, rose from a few troughs to hit his scintillating ceiling, which is peerless as of now. In the final few games, with Sinner showing scarcely believable fortitude to come back again and hit sublime shots of his own, Alcaraz produced a reflex volley, a flicked backhand winner, and then a passing shot on the same wing from deep behind the baseline that flew miraculously past his opponent. In the tiebreak, Alcaraz went supernova and fittingly sealed the match with a forehand passing shot up the line on the run. The contrast in styles, with Alcaraz possessing more variety but also being more of a tortured genius who can fluctuate from absurd highs to seemingly inexplicable lows, is a compelling element of the rivalry. Sinner’s the world No. 1 and more consistent, but Alcaraz’s highs are higher. Sunday illustrated that and the world also got to see Alcaraz’s showmanship — the finger to his ear after one of his incredible steals, as well as his refusal to accept he was beaten. Sinner matched him in this regard and such was the emotional toll of this final that the normally calm Italian let out his frustration at points in the fifth set. Nothing reveals a tennis player’s personality like this kind of occasion and few sports are as revealing as this one. Even once the match has finished, asking losing players to put their devastation into words is brutal.
