Jannik Sinner is the 2024 Cincinnati Open champion after defeating Frances Tiafoe 7-6(1), 6-2 in Monday night’s final.
The Italian hasn’t had it all his own way during the last seven days. He managed a hip injury and endured back-to-back three-set battles against Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev.
However, the final was more straightforward, and he needed just one hour and 37 minutes to overcome Tiafoe to win his fifth title of the season.
He had previously triumphed in Melbourne, Rotterdam, Miami, and Halle. He is also the only player to have won two ATP Masters 1000 titles in 2024, and he’s now in pole position to capture the year-end number one.
Heading into Cincy, I was worried about Sinner’s physical state, given his last performance in Montreal, where he was limping.
Although he had some similar moments in Ohio, he was able to manage the issue while still producing his trademark powerful and precise ball striking when it mattered most.
Match Stats
| Jannik Sinner | Frances Tiafoe | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 13 | 5 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 57% | 55% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 85% (28/33) | 70% (32/46) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 76% (19/25) | 47% (18/38) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (3/3) | 75% (6/8) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 30% (14/46) | 15% (5/33) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 53% (20/38) | 24% (6/25) |
| Break Points Converted | 25% (2/8) | 0% (0/3) |
| Winners | 27 | 12 |
| Unforced Errors | 13 | 9 |
| Net Points Won | 79% (11/14) | 61% (11/18) |
| Max Points In Row | 10 | 5 |
| Service Points Won | 81% (47/58) | 60% (50/84) |
| Return Points Won | 40% (34/84) | 19% (11/58) |
| Total Points Won | 57% (81/142) | 43% (61/142) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (10/10) | 80% (8/10) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (2/10) | 0% (0/10) |
| Total Games Won | 60% (12/20) | 40% (8/20) |
Highlights
Quick Final Recap
Pre-US Open series, I declared that Sinner was the man to beat on hard courts and would have a very strong final part of the season.
That was based on his level, but also the fact that Djokovic ticked a massive box by winning the Olympics, and Alcaraz did a lot of winning during the clay and grass swings, which can be hard to maintain in the second half of the season.
However, after his loss in Montreal, I had my doubts he could stand up physically, but he allayed those fears in Cincinnati, producing several gritty wins to get the job done alongside some quality ball striking. Some of the shots he hit against Zverez left him stunned.
His serve is also now a massive weapon for him. A few years ago, he had a bit of a racket drop leak and wasn’t so good at hitting his spots.
But now he’s fixed that, and in the final, Tiafoe could only win 11 return points across the match.
25% of those came in the first game of the match when the American held two breakpoints, but he could not capitalise.
From there, Sinner took charge with the early hold, setting the stage for his momentum to carry through the rest of the match, holding several games to love.
In contrast, Sinner won 34 return points, which put Tiafoe under a lot more pressure. This pressure eventually caught up to him, as he blazed a forehand long at the start of the second set to drop serve and was unable to keep in touch with the Italian.
It was a very difficult week, tough week. I’m very happy about about today’s match. It was very tough mentally. Had such an amazing run here, and I tried to do my best today. We both were quite tired from yesterday. We both felt a lot of tension, but I’m very glad about [the] level I played today, especially in the important moments. It has been a tough week, some ups and downs, which is normal to have. But how I handled the very important moments in each match, I’m very happy. Now, for sure, it’s important to recover, to be to be ready for New York. This is our main goal here for this U.S. swing. I’m very happy to be in a position where I am and just trying to keep going mentally, having this hunger to keep playing, and hopefully I can show some good tennis also New York. Sinner on his title run in Cincinnati.
What did you think of the final? Is Sinner the favourite for the US Open?