Sinner wins US Open, Paris says goodbye to Games, what happened overnight in world of sport

Drugs row, what drugs row? Jannik Sinner shakes off noise to make history in New York, where fans are facing another miserable NFL season

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Fireworks explode above the Stade de France during the closing ceremony for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:30am, 9 Sep 2024

Here we are, it’s Monday again, which means bleary eyes at work for those of us who can’t not watch sport when it’s actually taking place. And there was a lot overnight.

The US Open, the first Sunday of the NFL season, cricket, football, a little bit of rugby, even baseball if that’s your poison. If there was a sportsbook in Hong Kong, they’d make a killing.

And let’s be honest, for a city that just splashed out HK$1.3 billion on the first day of racing, you have to question why there isn’t. Anyway, here’s a quick look at what happened while some of you were sleeping.

What drugs row?

Jannik Sinner came into the US Open under a cloud of suspicion and with questions swirling around tennis’ drug testing policies. He ended it with a brutal display of baseline power to become the first Italian man to win the tournament.

Jannik Sinner hits a return against Taylor Fritz during their men’s singles final at the US Open. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sinner held his arms aloft in celebration after breaking Fritz to clinch the title 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, and cheers rang around Arthur Ashe Stadium, even though home fans had hoped to see Fritz end a 21-year US men’s grand slam drought.

The top seed blocked out the off-court noise in New York and with the win claimed his second grand slam title after victory in the Australian Open earlier this year.

So long, Paris

I’ll be honest, you almost got The Sound of Music on this one, especially as Rogers and Hammerstein are closer in generation to one of the 24 DJs who helped the world’s Paralympians party in the French capital.

But ‘farewell, auf weidersehen and goodbye’ are almost de rigueur, so instead, you sort of get Taylor Swift. Although the closing ceremony was more of a glorious goodbye in the rain than an ode to lost love.