Jannik Sinner added another milestone to his season by winning the China Open title for a second time, defeating American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in Sunday’s final in Beijing. The victory gave the 24-year-old Italian his 21st career trophy, 18 of which have come on hard courts, and his third title of 2025 after triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Sinner wasted no time imposing himself in the final, breaking Tien in the opening game after the 19-year-old opened with a double fault. Although the American settled into the match and occasionally threatened with his aggressive shot-making, he could not convert either of the two break points he created. In contrast, Sinner’s serve proved almost untouchable. The world No. 2 fired ten aces and consistently found big points when it mattered, breaking Tien’s momentum.
“It was a tough match,” Tien said in the post-match press conference. “I thought he served really well today, got a lot of free points. I couldn’t get a good read on it, and that put more pressure on my own service games. The pressure he puts on you point to point is really tough.”
Despite the defeat, the American can leave Beijing with his head held high. Having beaten Francisco Cerundolo, Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Musetti to reach the semifinals, he stunned Daniil Medvedev in three sets to reach his maiden ATP final. The result propels him close to the world’s top 50 and within touching distance of earning Grand Slam seeding next year.
Speaking after the match, Sinner praised his 19-year-old opponent, saying, “You are showing all season what a talent you are. Keep going, you are playing incredible tennis. Hopefully, we can share moments like this in the future.”
Sinner, meanwhile, becomes only the third man to win multiple China Open titles, joining Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who has a record six. Asked about chasing Djokovic’s mark, Sinner laughed off the comparison. “He’s in a different league with everything he’s achieved,” he said. “I’m just happy to say I’ve won this tournament twice. Let’s see what the future brings.”
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The win also served as a welcome rebound after recent struggles against his rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten him in four of their last five finals, including last month’s US Open. That duel will be on hold for at least another week. Alcaraz, fresh from winning the Japan Open, has withdrawn from the upcoming Shanghai Masters with a left ankle injury.
“I’m very disappointed not to play Shanghai,” Alcaraz wrote on Instagram Stories. “After discussing with my team, we think the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the fans again.”
With Alcaraz sidelined, Sinner enters Shanghai as the top seed and with a chance to close the gap in the year-end race for world no. 1. He begins his campaign in the second round against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, carrying the confidence of another dominant week in Beijing.
