Jannik Sinner makes Italian history, beats Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing SF to earn World No. 4 spot

Jannik Sinner recently made history after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal of the 2023 China Open, claiming the World No. 4 spot.

The Italian locked horns with Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal of the Beijing event after overcoming challenges from Dan Evans, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Grigor Dimitrov in the previous rounds.

In what was a hard-hitting contest between the duo, Sinner ultimately prevailed and claimed a straight-set victory over the Spaniard, 7-6(4), 6-1, and continued his campaign in the ATP 500 event.

With this victory, the 22-year-old became the first Italian in the Open Era since countryman Adriano Panatta to achieve the ATP ranking of World No. 4.

"JANNIK SINNER NEW NO. 4! The Italian defeats Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing semifinal and becomes the highest-ranked ATP player in the history of Italian tennis, equalling Panatta. What a player," tweeted Relevant Tennis, a tennis news account on X.

Adriano Panatta is the sole Italian man to have clinched a Grand Slam title, triumphing in the 1976 edition of the French Open. Panatta is also the only player to have defeated former Swedish professional Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros, doing so on two occasions - in 1973 and 1976 respectively.

Jannik Sinner will next square off against Daniil Medvedev in the final of the China Open on Wednesday, September 4.

"The words of ex-players make me laugh" - Jannik Sinner's former coach jumps to Italian's rescue after Davis Cup controversy

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 China Open

Jannik Sinner's ex-coach Riccardo Piatti recently came to the Italian's defense after the former drew backlash and criticism for not participating in the stage matches of this season's Davis Cup.

After an exhausting North American hardcourt swing, Sinner took a break to reset and opted out of the annual event. However, his absence attracted much criticism from the tennis community.

In a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport, Piatti lent his thoughts on the matter and expressed his bafflement on the mere relevance of such criticism against Sinner. The 64-year-old Italian was amused by the remarks by ex-players, who Piatti said couldn't contemplate the changing pace of the sport.

"I don't understand the controversy over who plays in Davis, the important thing is to move forward. Even the words of ex-players who cannot put themselves in the shoes of those who play at the pace of today's tennis, where there is less time to improve and more risk of injury, make me laugh," Piatti said.