Champions of September: Alcaraz, Sinner soar, Shang shines

In an action-packed September on the ATP Tour, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz soared to more glory.

New faces joined the old in the winner’s circle in China to kickstart the Asian swing, with Marin Cilic returning after a three-year hiatus in Hangzhou, and Shang Juncheng establishing a name for himself in front of his home faithful in Chengdu.

US Open, New York - Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner capped a dazzling 2024 campaign on the Grand Slam circuit by lifting his second major trophy at the US Open, adding to his Australian Open triumph in January. The 23-year-old rose to the challenge that was posed in the final by home hope Taylor Fritz, who was bidding to become the first American male to succeed at this level since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open. It was a gutsy performance from Sinner throughout the fortnight, eventually raising his level to soar into a commanding lead over Alexander Zverev and Alcaraz in the battle to claim ATP Year-End No.1 presented by PIF.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Chengdu Open, Chengdu - Shang Juncheng
It was fitting that Shang Juncheng’s maiden ATP Tour title came on home soil in China, underpinning the impressive rise that the 19-year-old #NextGenATP star has undergone over the past year. With his fairytale run in Chengdu, which included a comprehensive 7-6(4), 6-1 win over top seed Lorenzo Musetti in the final, the flashy left showed why he is one of the most promising talents on the Tour, becoming just the second Chinese man to lift an ATP Tour title (Yibing Wu, Dallas 2023). With the triumph, Shang boosted his hopes of qualification for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, cementing his third-place position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

Hangzhou Open, Hangzhou - Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic carved his name into the history books with his resurgent performance to claim the title in Hangzhou, becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Tour champion since 1990. Arriving in China as No. 777 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the 35-year-old was able to reignite some of his most imposing tennis to edge to victory over Brandon Nakashima and prevent Zhang Zhizhen from creating more Chinese history in the final with a gripping straight-sets win, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).

Laver Cup, Berlin - Team Europe
It was Alcaraz who stole the show on his Laver Cup debut, picking up Team Europe from the brink of defeat and guiding the group to victory over Team World in a thrilling 13-11 comeback. Entering the final Sunday, Bjorn Borg’s team faced a 4-8 deficit in favour of John McEnroe’s men. Still, the Spaniard provided crucial wins in both doubles and singles to taste victory. After Borg and McEnroe's seven-year tenure as Laver Cup captains, Yannick Noah and Andre Agassi will take over from 2025.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, Japan - Arthur Fils
Arthur Fils battled back from the verge of defeat, saving a championship point against countryman Ugo Humbert in the Tokyo final to triumph 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3 and clinch his second ATP 500 title of the 2024 campaign. A dazzling week in the Japanese capital saw the 20-year-old #NextGenATP star secure four wins over Top 20 opponents, including top seed Fritz, defending champion Ben Shelton, Holger Rune and Humbert. The Frenchman was forced to battle physical issues in each of the rounds from his quarter-final but eventually held his nerve to extend his lead at the top of the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

China Open, Beijing - Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz began his 2024 Asian Swing in emphatic fashion when he soared to a fourth title of the year in the Chinese capital. The 21-year-old rallied back from the brink of defeat in a gripping final against Sinner that was decided by the finest of margins, reflecting the absorbing nature of their rivalry. Alcaraz, who clinched a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory, became the first man to win an ATP 500 on hard courts, clay and grass in series history (since 2009).

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