Alcaraz’s performance was studded with some jaw-dropping tennis, the kind which the 22-year-old has made a personal brand. Known for played with confidence, swagger, and plenty of flair, Alcaraz was at his potent best in sets 3 and 4, in which he seemed to produce one or two unbelievable shots every game.

One such came early on in the fourth set, when Alcaraz hit one of his specialties with the deft drop shot to bring Sinner to the net. The Italian returned, Alcaraz attempted to lob him, Sinner responded with a skyhook overhead but couldn’t get much power, and Alcaraz then made a backhand winner down the line look far simpler than it was.

It was the kind of shotmaking and pure confidence that was best appreciated by Alcaraz’s contemporaries and other sporting greats, not just in tennis but across the world of sports. The broadcast cameras panned to NBA great Stephen Curry in the crowd, who simply had his arms up in pure appreciation for the brilliance he had just witnessed, a huge smile on his face.

Alcaraz in full flow despite delay disruption

Curry was just one of dozens of major celebrities dotted through the Arthur Ashe crowd for this final, the third meeting at a slam title match between Sinner and Alcaraz this year. Most notably in attendance was American president Donald Trump, who was once a regular at the Open before his involvement in politics. Trump’s attendance forced heightened security and therefore a delay to the start of the match, something for which the US Open’s organisers were fiercely criticised.

Nevertheless, at the end of the day the night belonged firmly to Alcaraz, who showed exactly what it means when pundits say Sinner might outdo him in consistency, but when at the peak of their powers, no tennis player quite stands up to the artistry and brilliance the victorious Spaniard can provide.