WATCH: Jannik Sinner hilariously stashes plushie inside Carlos Alcaraz's winner's trophy during China Open photocall, copies Daniil Medvedev's gesture

Jannik Sinner added a touch of humor to the intense competition by hiding his plushie inside Carlos Alcaraz’s champion’s trophy during the photocall in the 2024 China Open final. Sinner, who lost a thrilling final to Alcaraz with a score of 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-7(3) in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes, found a way to lighten the mood after the grueling battle.

As the two players were felicitated with their respective trophies and plush toys from the organizers, Sinner cheekily placed his plushie in Alcaraz’s trophy, prompting laughter from Alcaraz and the officials. The Spaniard followed suit and placed his plushie in the trophy as well, creating an amusing moment during the photocall.

Watch the video here:

This playful incident is reminiscent of last year’s China Open final, where runner-up Daniil Medvedev was accused of allegedly stealing a plushie from Sinner. The Russian, struggling to hold both the runner-up plate and the plushie, smartly tossed the plushie into the trophy before retrieving it after the photocall.

At a pre-tournament press conference at the Shanghai Masters, Medvedev clarified that the plushie was his and that he placed it there to avoid ruining a great picture. Sinner's decision to repeat the plushie-in-trophy move at this year’s final gave the fans a nostalgic throwback.

Watch the video here:

The updated head-to-head record between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now stands at 6-4 in favor of the former. This latest victory marks Alcaraz’s third consecutive win against Sinner in 2024, further solidifying their burgeoning rivalry.

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Carlos Alcaraz praises Jannik Sinner’s character and humility amid Italian's doping controversy

Carlos Alcaraz (Image source: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz had high praise for top seed Jannik Sinner following their thrilling showdown at the China Open, highlighting the latter's resilience and character despite the ongoing doping controversy.

In August, it was disclosed that Jannik Sinner had twice tested positive for the banned steroid Clostebol earlier this year. Initially suspended, he successfully appealed both cases, allowing him to continue competing during the investigation.

The ITIA accepted Sinner's claim that the steroid had been accidentally introduced through a spray used by his former physiotherapist for an injury. As a result, he forfeited his prize money and ranking points from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

However, on September 26, during his run at the Beijing event, WADA challenged the ITIA's decision, taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and seeking a one-to-two-year suspension.

During the post-match interview, Alcaraz expressed his admiration for Sinner, commending the Italian’s determination and strong work ethic.

“I’d like to start with Jannik. What can I say about you. The year you’re having is unbelievable. You deserve it.. with your team and the work you put every day... You’re really really humble. That makes you an even better success," Carlos Alcaraz said.

"During your whole career and this year, I’d like to congratulate you and your team for great work and great tennis you’re playing. For me, even more important, you and the people around you are great people. I respect you a lot as a player but even more as a person,” he added.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be in action at the Shanghai Masters next. This will be their second appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The top-seeded Italian and the third-seeded Spaniard received byes into their respective second rounds, where they will take on Taro Daniel and Shang Juncheng.