Jannik Sinner is off to a strong start in his pursuit of reclaiming the China Open title after defeating Marin Cilic in his opening match.
Sinner overcame Cilic in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-2 to book his place in the round of 16 for the third straight year.
The world number two emerged victorious in Beijing during the 2023 season, beating Carlos Alcaraz en route to the final, where he ultimately triumphed over Daniil Medvedev to hoist the trophy.
His title defence last year ended in the championship match, where Alcaraz earned his revenge in a classic final between the two.
Jannik Sinner surpasses Carlos Alcaraz’s record in Beijing
With the Spaniard opting to compete in the Japan Open this year rather than the China Open, the Italian won’t have to battle past his rival, whom he has just surpassed in an incredible statistic.
Sinner’s victory over Cilic marks his 24th win against former Grand Slam champions at tour-level events since the beginning of the 2020 season, the most of any player in that time frame.
He now leads Alcaraz, who has tallied 23 wins against major winners in the last five years.
Three of the wins in Sinner’s tally have come against the six-time Grand Slam champion, the most recent of which was at this year’s Wimbledon final.
Jannik Sinner’s victories against former Grand Slam champions
The 24-year-old has conquered six former major winners altogether since 2020, enjoying his largest total against 2021 US Open champion Medvedev.
Sinner has clinched six wins against Novak Djokovic and four against Stan Wawrinka.
| Grand Slam Champion | Wins |
| Daniil Medvedev | 8 |
| Novak Djokovic | 6 |
| Stan Wawrinka | 4 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 3 |
| Marin Cilic | 2 |
| Andy Murray | 1 |
Though he has defeated Alcaraz five times at tour-level events, two of those victories came before his rival won a maiden major trophy at the US Open in 2022.
Other Grand Slam champions Sinner has come out on top against include Cilic and Andy Murray.
He never faced Roger Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, or Dominic Thiem on the tour, and lost all three of his bouts with Rafael Nadal.
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