What a weekend it was for tennis fans! The US Open wrapped up in thrilling fashion, leaving fans on the edge of their seats as both the WTA and ATP finals delivered unforgettable matches. From Aryna Sabalenka lifting her first-ever US Open title to Jannik Sinner cementing his comeback with a Grand Slam win, it was truly a weekend to remember. But while the dust is settling on the courts, an unexpected debate has begun brewing off the court. Who stole the show better — Sinner or Sabalenka?

The highlights of Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open final match and that of Jannik Sinner have immense disparity. While there are more than 1M views for the WTA match on YouTube, the Men’s final has only 527K views. This has led to an intense debate within the tennis community, with the fans claiming that Sinner’s match against Taylor Fritz was not as exciting as they anticipated it to be. 

Remember, Sinner easily defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the final in front of the latter’s home crowd. Taking to X, one user shared the screenshot from YouTube and wrote, “Disgrace to men’s tennis. No words.” This meanwhile has garnered intense traction on X, with several fans joining the fray to express similar sentiments.

Jannik Sinner receives backlash for the final match

Taking to X, one user wrote, “I’m not gonna lie. I like sinner but the final was dead man for some reason . It’s not about his game at all . His game is amazing to watch but it’s  just that the final felt bland.” The match continued for a duration of only 2 hours and 16 minutes. For a final of a grand slam, where one of the opponents is a local boy, matches of such a short duration were not anticipated. Besides, Fritz was gaining the support of players like Tim Henman, who openly expressed their backing for the player. However, what eventually unfolded was a match that did not have much drama, thereby drawing criticism. 

Responding to the post, another user wrote, “Stop giving him visibility.” Remember, these comments are coming in the backdrop of Sinner’s doping controversy as well. The Italian tennis dynamo tested positive for low levels of Clostebol during the Indian Wells this year. However, the ruling of the Independent tribunal went in favor of Sinner, who let him go with a fine. Since then, Sinner has been facing immense backlash, and demands to boycott his matches have also been witnessed on social media platforms. Yet another user joined in the fray.

“The women’s final was better, and that’s not something I say often,” a user wrote. Interestingly, the final grand slam of the year was quite different from the previous grand slams that were played this season. Remember, both the French Open and the Australian Open were played in five sets. Besides, despite being limited to only 3 sets, Wimbledon unfolded between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, who contested against each other in 2023 as well. Hence, the thrill was immense and the match also witnessed its own share of highs and lows, which fans claimed were absent in the US Open. 

Taking to the platform, another user wrote, “Real ones watched the women’s.” The Women’s singles final witnessed some thrilling situations. Sablenka won five games straight to take a 5-2 lead. While she could close out the first set on serve, her service game faltered and a double fault and a number of unforced errors led to Pegula making a comeback, 5-4. Pegula tied it up 5-5 after holding her serve, inching closer, but Sabalenka jumped back in front 6-5 after a 14-point service game. Eventually, she won the match and the set. The rollercoaster of emotions was highlighted by Sabalenka herself as well. Speaking in the post-match interview, she said, “You showed some amazing tennis,” to Pegula. Meanwhile, fans continued to express their dislike for Sinner’s match. 

“Wooow, misogynists won’t like that,” another user wrote, signifying how well they liked the WTA match. But for Sinner, the win has come with great relief. It will be interesting to see if this triumphant campaign can help him come out of his troubles amidst the doping saga that he finds himself in.