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• US Open: Sinner edges Fritz to claim second grand slam title

  Jannik Sinner clinched the US Open title with a gripping straight-sets victory over Taylor Fritz on Sunday.

  The momentum ebbed and flowed in a tight contest, with Sinner claiming his maiden title at Flushing Meadows 6-3 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 17 minutes.

  Sinner quietened the home crowd early, breaking Fritz's serve in the opening game, but it only motivated the American, who edged in front shortly after by winning three on the trot.

  The reigning Australian Open champion responded in kind though, going one better with a four-game winning streak to get the first set in the bag.

  The second set was a cagey affair, with the players matching each other stride for stride, neither willing to blink first.

  With the chance to level the score at 5-5, Fritz started to wobble, making a couple of unforced errors in the final game as he lost his serve, giving himself a mountain to climb.

  It looked like Fritz had shaken that off in the third set though, as he took the first three points, but Sinner held out, not losing his serve.

  Yet it was Fritz who earned the first break, taking a 5-3 lead.

  But Fritz again lost his rhythm at the crucial moment – Sinner won the final four games, his triumph confirmed as his opponent hit it into the net.

  The Italian Job is complete

  It has already been a banner year for Sinner, who won his maiden grand slam final, beating Daniil Medvedev to claim the Australian Open.

  And he has stood firm in New York, when other favourites, like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, fell in the early rounds, adding to his superb record on the hard court.

  Sinner is the second-youngest player to win the Australian Open and US Open men's singles title during the same season, after Jimmy Connors in 1974, during the Open Era.

  Meanwhile, he is the third player to win the title at the US Open men's singles after dropping his opening set at the event in the past five decades after John McEnroe (1981) and Patrick Rafter (1998).

  Following Aryna Sabalenka's victory on Saturday, two players have won the women's and men's singles titles at the Australian and US Open during the same season for the fifth time.

  With two grand slam titles now in the bag, the world number one has proven just why he is worthy of that status.

  Just out of reach

  Fritz was not only playing in his first grand slam final, but he was the first American to reach the showpiece at the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2006.

  Among players representing the United States, Fritz (26 years and 313 days) is the second oldest in the Open Era to reach a maiden men's singles final at a grand slam, after MaliVai Washington (27y 15d) at Wimbledon in 1996.

  He was looking to emulate Roddick's success from 2003, ending a 21-year wait for a homegrown champion at Flushing Meadows.

  Having already beaten high-ranking players like Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud en route to the final, Fritz had proven he was no pushover, but the world number one proved a different type of test.

  Fritz was just lacking that cutting edge at the key moments, as a major title slipped out of his reach, but there is nothing to say that he cannot come back even stronger next year. 

• 'You can never count him out' - McEnroe backs Djokovic to win 25th major title

  John McEnroe says "you never want to count Novak Djokovic out" despite his failure to win a grand slam in 2024.

  Djokovic's last major triumph came at Flushing Meadows last year as he won his third grand slam of 2023, levelling Margaret Court's record of 24 titles.

  And it looked like he would overtake that record this year, but he has struggled with injuries and a lack of form, meaning he will end a calendar year without a major title for the first time since 2017.

  While he ended his wait for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last month, he only reached one grand slam final, losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.

  He then suffered a shock early exit to Alexei Popyrin in the third round in New York, but McEnroe is convinced the Serb has what it takes to prove everybody wrong.

  "You never want to count him out," McEnroe told Eurosport.

  "This would certainly be the first time where you could say with some seriousness that you start to wonder if he's going to win again.

  "How long can this guy keep motivated? Then he won the Olympic gold. I'm amazed that he's kept it [motivation] for this long.

  "I'm sure to be surprised either way. If he doesn't win [a major], you would be like wow – he won three of the four last year. And now we're saying he'll never win it again. And then I would sort of be surprised in a way if he did, because of his age.

  "That's what he's facing right now. It will be interesting to see if he's able to pull it off. But I do think he'll try to find that motivation to get number 25."

• US Open: Never give up on dreams, says Flushing Meadows champion Sabalenka

  Aryna Sabalenka's US Open triumph is proof you should "never give up on your dream".

  Sabalenka, who lost to Coco Gauff in last year's US Open final, got the monkey off her back when she defeated Jessica Pegula at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

  The Belarusian prevailed 7-5 7-5 from a thrilling encounter on Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Pegula having reeled off five straight games to take a 5-3 lead in the second set before Sabalenka turned the tables back in her favour.

  After becoming just the fifth woman to win both hard-court grand slam titles in the same season, Sabalenka said: "Everything I'm thinking, I remember all those tough losses in the past here and it's going to sound easy but never give up on your dream and just keep trying, keep working hard.

  "If you're really working hard sacrificing everything for your dream, you're going to get it one day.

  "I'm just super proud of myself. I never say that but I'm super proud of myself, I'm super proud of my team that no matter what, which situation we were facing this season and in the past, we were able to go through it and get all those beautiful trophies.

  "It's also very special place here, the US Open. That's why it's very special, because no matter what, every time I was coming back stronger, and I was learning, I never gave up on this dream, and it means a lot."

  Sabalenka is the sixth defending runner-up to win the US Open title in the Open Era, after Chris Evert (1980), Martina Navratilova (1986), Steffi Graf (1988 and 1995), Justine Henin (2007) and Serena Williams (2002 and 2012).

  And though Pegula was the home favourite, there was still plenty of support from the crowd for Sabalenka.

  She added: "That's everything, let's be honest without them it wouldn't be me and I wouldn't exist and as I always say without me you guys wouldn't exist too so you're welcome!

  "No, no, I love you guys. Your support is everything and you're my family and I cannot imagine my tennis life and my personal life without you. I love you guys, I don't say it often but I will say it loud, thank you for being you."