Jannik Sinner’s journey to Beijing: Victory, Heartbreak and Unfinished Business | ATP Journey

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Jannik Sinner’s journey to Beijing: Victory, Heartbreak and Unfinished Business

Italian debuts in 2023 with a 9-1 championship record

September 20, 2025

Jannik Sinner’s story at the Beijing China Open has always been one of glory, pain and promise.

Announcing himself on Chinese land at the 2023 title debut, the Italians returned to another final the following year until a memorable showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, which showed off the best in their Lexus ATP Head2head 2head competition. That failed stung, but it also planted seeds for future success.

Now, as the second-ranked player in the PIF ATP rankings, the Sinner is back with new determination and the confidence of the players who have conquered Beijing. Prior to the 2025 edition, Atptour.com revisited his journey at the ATP 500 event.

2023: Dream Demuce
After a stunning 2023 season, his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, Sina came to Beijing with a confident top ten players. The level of the 22-year-old young man even rose further that week.

He won Daniel Evans and Grigor Dimitrov in three sets, flanked by a victory against Yoshihito Nishioka to play the semi-finals against Alcaraz. In a conflict that highlighted their increasingly fierce clash over competition, Sina beat their Lexus ATP Head2head series 7-6 (4) 6-1 to lead 4-3.

From there, the Sinners brought that momentum into the championship game against Daniil Medvedev, who beat him six times in a row, including earlier that season in the Miami final. This time, Sinner took his own ground in two matches to capture his Beijing crown and cemented his debut in the PIF ATP top 5.

“Daniel, thank you for letting me win at least one game,” Sina joked at the trophy ceremony. “We have had some very intense battles, especially this year. Thank you for making me a better player. I have been training a lot to beat you. My team appreciates you so much. Thank you so much, sharing this moment with you is special.”

Watch the final highlights of Beijing 2023:

2024: Competition and determination
By 2024’s Asian Swing, Sina has established herself as the first Italian to rank No. 1 in the PIF ATP rankings and is a dominant threat in hard courts. However, in Beijing, his path is not simple.

He had to rally from Nicolas Jarry and Roman Safiullin in each of the two games in the game before finding his big stride and a second straight final. There, a familiar competitor waits again: Alcaraz and their latest encounter live up to billing.

The two traded jaw-dropping exchanges on the three-match pulsation suit, while Sinner defended his championship brink with a 3/0 lead in the final game. However, Alcaraz rushed into the game, snatching seven points in a row to win the championship and defeated the Italian for the third time in a row.

“It’s always a pleasure to be a part of this kind of game. Obviously, it’s not going my way. These games can be taken in both directions. But it’s not my day.” “He’s better at the big moments. That’s it. I’m proud of a great week again, making it to the finals here. I won last year. Of course, this is where I love to play, so I’m already looking forward to next year.”

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz “style=” width: 100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com//media/images/media/images/media/images/news/2025/2025/09/19/19/16/11/sinner-alcaraz-alcaraz-beijing-tourmind-feature-2025.jpg_{^{Jannik Sinner teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz after the 2024 three-set Beijing final. Photo: lintao Zhang/Getty Images.}}

2025: Beijing rebounds?
Two years from his first victory, from the heartbreak of his last failure, the sinner returned to Beijing with new motivation. The 24-year-old will end after the U.S. Open finals since his 65-week world No. 1 reign, when he took back Alcaraz to his highest point.

According to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Sina shines at the China Open with a 9-1 record, which proves his comfort in Beijing’s hard court. He will win a second title, and he will join record-breaking six-time champion Novak Djokovic and two-time champion Rafael Nadal, the only man to win multiple titles in the game.

However, the path to redemption remains daunting. This year’s draw includes the top 10 stars of Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti.