Jannik Sinner Advances to Round Two in Beijing

Jannik Sinner powers through to next round in China Open

World number two Jannik Sinner defeats Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open first round, advancing to the next round where he'll face Terence Atmane.

“I'm very, very happy with the season I have played, or am playing, because it was remarkable for my side what...”

World number two Jannik Sinner dominated Croatia's Marin Cilic, winning 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the China Open. This convincing victory marked Sinner's first match since losing the US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner's strong performance saw him break Cilic early in both sets, taking control and closing out the match with ease.

After the match, Sinner expressed his satisfaction with the win, stating, “Big respect to him. I managed to break him quite early, which then gave me the confidence to continue.” Sinner's victory over Cilic was his 24th over a former major champion since the start of the 2020 season, surpassing Alcaraz's tally of 23 in that time.

Sinner's next opponent will be French qualifier Terence Atmane, whom he will face for the second time in as many months. Atmane previously defeated China's Zhang Zhizhen in the first round, setting up a potential intriguing matchup against Sinner. The Italian will aim to keep pace in his battle with rival Alcaraz for ATP Year-End No. 1 honors.

“We did a lot of work to be back in this position again, so I'm very happy,” Sinner said.

“I missed the competition. Of course, you are nervous, you have doubts and it's normal... but you have to be also excited to go again on court.

“At the moment I feel great physically and mentally, which is the most important.”

However, Sinner's strong performance made it difficult for him to get back into the game.

The match started evenly, but Sinner broke Cilic's serve at 3-2 to take the lead. He then won the next two games without dropping a point, wrapping up the first set efficiently. In the second set, Sinner broke early, securing a 2-1 lead, and went on to dominate, pushing the score to 5-1 against the struggling Cilic.

He's vying for a third straight Beijing final after winning the China Open debut in 2023 before losing last year's decider to Carlos Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner's Thoughts on His Win

“Big respect to him,” Sinner said, acknowledging Marin Cilic's toughness. He credited his early breaks in both sets for giving him the confidence to dominate the match. Sinner's serve was a key factor, with him winning 75% of points on his first serve, compared to Cilic's 45%. This strong serving display was a notable improvement from his US Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, where he struggled with his serve.

Introducing Unpredictability to His Game

Sinner plans to add unpredictability to his game after losing the US Open final and the top ranking to Alcaraz. He aims to mix up his play, focusing on continuous improvement. “I always say 90% is trying to keep doing what I’m doing, and 10% is trying to mix it up, thinking a lot at the moment,” Sinner said. He's working on refining his serve, sometimes feeling a bit slow to hit the first shot, but is hopeful it will become more automatic with practice.

Regarding the rankings swap with Alcaraz, Sinner believes it's neither pressure on nor off. He remains focused on his game, having won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year. Sinner's priority is to continue improving and adapt to the challenges posed by top players like Alcaraz.

“I'm very, very happy with the season I have played, or am playing, because it was remarkable for my side what I did, but also for what Carlos is doing.

“At the moment he deserves to be there, you know, it's as simple as that. He played more tournaments and he played all tournaments very, very well.”

Hello Beijing 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/qJXdINYV8v

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) September 25, 2025

Jannik Sinner is gunning for his third consecutive Beijing final after a strong start to the tournament. The Italian tennis star recently defeated Marin Cilic in the first round, winning 6-2, 6-2. Sinner's next challenge will be French qualifier Terence Atmane.

China Open Events

The China Open is a prominent tennis tournament featuring both ATP 500 and WTA 1000 events. The women's tournament, categorized as WTA 1000, boasts a prize money of $8,285,274 and attracts top players like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina. The men's tournament, meanwhile, has seen past winners like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.