Alcaraz's electric variety makes gifted Sinner rethink his game

No comet was predicted for Sept 7, but then Carlos Alcaraz arrived, a pink streak in maroon shoes who lit up New York on Sunday night.

- Rohit Brijnath

In full, grinning flight, his racket alternately a whip and a wand, he made us think of carnivals, rocket ships, racetracks and magic shows. When he plays, tennis glows.

Legend has it that the stick of an extraordinary Indian hockey player was broken in the 1930s to check for magnets. Alcaraz's shoes should be checked for afterburners, for he moved for 162 minutes with the acceleration of a fleeing pickpocket in a marketplace. In a sport of hands, he makes us gasp at his feet.

He sprints, holds his balance, imagines a shot, then creates it. A blur of brilliance. Later he'd say, "I just trust really in my physical condition. I feel like I can reach every ball, which gives me the confidence and security of making good points and be able to play with variety."

The feast in the US Open final was not the match itself but a singular performance by the Spaniard, who had 42 winners to Jannik Sinner's 21 and 11 break point chances to the Italian's one. This aw-shucks awe-machine won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, his shot-making a thesis in diversity.