The Amazing Carlos Alcaraz Electrified The NYC Crowd And Came Back From The Dead To Beat Jannik Sinner In The 2nd Longest Match In US Open History

COREY SIPKIN. Getty Images.

5 hours and 15 minutes. The final strike delivered at 2:50am. Last night/this morning Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner put on an other worldly display of tennis in one of the greatest US Open matches ever. It goes down as the 2nd longest match in US Open history along with the latest finish as well. There are not enough words to accurately describe how fucking awesome watching that unfold live in person was, but I'll do my best to paint the picture. 

We watched a 19 and 21 year old exchange haymaker after haymaker just waiting for the final bell to ring. As hard as Sinner tried to end it, Alcaraz simply would not die. At one point in the 3rd and 4th set, the Spaniard's serve had escaped him. Was it nerves, was it Sinner's level being too high, or simple exhaustion finally settling in after spending nearly four additional hours on court Monday night? Whatever was happening, Sinner took complete control, and just needed to hold serve one more time. 

Carlos Alcaraz wouldn't have any of it. 

He not only saved a match point and broke back to level at 5-5, but he then proceeded to rip off two more games, taking the set all together 7-5. In the blink of an eye we once again had ourselves a match that refused to end in the best of ways. Ridiculous. Just when you thought the kid was dead to rights he flipped the switch and took back the momentum. Carlos had some lulls in this one no question, especially with his serve, but once that kid gets on a roll it's like a goddamn avalanche. There was nothing Sinner could do once Alcaraz re-entered the match late in the 4th. His ability to take things up 10 levels is something the entire ATP Tour is trying to figure out. So far, there's really no answer besides prayer that he comes back to Earth. 

Despite the late hour, the crowd was nothing short of electric the entire way through. That's the gift and the curse of these night matches at the US Open. They sometimes run so goddamn late that a large portion of the US audience is fast asleep while all the amazing shit happens. At the same time you can get a live crowd like the one tonight that only adds to the spectacle. Listen to how loud this was at two in the morning. 

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Once the match went to the 5th, the US Open allowed fans who stuck around in the upper deck to sneak on down to the lower levels and go nuts. Despite Sinner going up an early break in the decider, Alcaraz once again found it in him to break back and go onto win the match. 

The mental game he has is just insanity. 19 years old and completely unflappable. All the talent to dominate the sport and one day cement himself among Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal. It's so much fun watching him rise to stardom like this. 

Honestly that's one of the best events I've ever had the pleasure of being at in my life. Recency bias wants me to put it at number one and that may be accurate. That was an experience I'll remember for as long as this brain is working. I nearly fainted when Alcaraz pulled off this shot late in the 2nd to save set point. 

I still don't understand how he won that point. I don't understand how he won the match. What I do understand is that Carlos Alcaraz is the future of tennis. So is Jannik Sinner. I've gone on a lot here about Alcaraz considering he won the match, but don't take away a thing from the Italian Sinner's efforts. He was phenomenal in this one as well and has a super bright future ahead of him. He will win slams and rise to number one in the world at some point. Safe to say the sport is in good hands post-big 3. It took the next generation long enough, but my god have they arrived. You deliver matches like this one on the regular at slams? Box office entertainment. 

Thank you Gametime for helping myself, Nate, and Feits get in the building for this. 

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Get last minute tix like these with the Gametime app. Create an account & redeem code STOOL for $20 off your first order. Download the app here and get your ass in the building Friday night for Tiafoe-Alcaraz. Gotta think the American is going to be pretty happy waking up and seeing how long this match went. 

P.S. I now can say I've been in the building for two of Carlos' biggest moments so far in his career. Last year for the Tsitsipas upset at the US Open (basically his introduction to the tennis world) and now this.

P.P.S. Watch this match and tell me with a straight face tennis is boring. You're cheating yourself not giving this a shot, especially when Carlos is on the court.