Jannik Sinner sweeps past Learner Tien to reclaim Beijing crown

Jannik Sinner shook off the shadows of New York and restored his winning rhythm in Beijing as he lifted the China Open trophy Wednesday with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over teenager Learner Tien.

The 72-minute triumph earned the Italian his third trophy of 2025 — the 21st of a career that is already beginning to feel gilded with inevitability.

Less than a month ago, the World No. 2 had fallen short against Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final. The defeat cost him both the trophy as well as the World No. 1 ranking. But in Beijing, under the bright lights, he asserted himself with precision and ruthlessness that has defined his season.

“It is a very, very special place for me,” Sinner said during the trophy presentation. “My team, thanks for understanding and working with me. Not all the team is here, so hopefully the rest are watching from home. Thanks for working with me and we will try to improve and push for more and let’s see what the rest of the season looks like, but I am very happy to share this [trophy] with all of you.”

This match was the first-ever encounter between Sinner and Tien, and since the opening game, there was a clear mismatch between the levels of the two players. The Italian’s forehand was blistering and it carved ridiculous open angles to force the 19-year-old American into awkward corners.

Tien — playing in his maiden tour-level final after beating Lorenzo Musetti and getting a retirement out of Daniil Medvedev — found no rhythm and only mustered to get 11 winners amid 18 unforced errors.

But there was no shame in the score line. His breakout fortnight pushes him up 16 spots to a career-high World No. 36 and all but guarantees him a return to the Next Gen ATP Finals. Sinner’s focus now shifts to Shanghai, where he will lead the field after arch-rival Alcaraz was forced to withdraw with an ankle injury.