Jannik Sinner has made his return to tour-level action at the China Open, weeks after his US Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian kicked off his Asian Swing with a dominant win over former US Open champion Marin Cilic, besting the Croatian in straight sets.
With Sinner’s victory over Cilic, he has surpassed his rival Alcaraz for the most wins against major champions since the beginning of the 2020 season, boasting a tally of 24.
His pursuit of reclaiming the China Open title, which he first secured in 2023, is off to a strong start; however, his next opponent in Beijing is a potential banana skin.
Jannik Sinner’s second-round opponent at the 2025 China Open
Sinner‘s second-round test comes in the form of world number 68 Terence Atmane, who has enjoyed an impressive second half to his season.
Atmane saw his ATP ranking soar after an incredible run at the Cincinnati Open, where he came through qualifying and claimed wins over Joao Fonseca, Taylor Fritz, and Holger Rune en route to the semifinals, where he met the then-world number one.
The Frenchman managed to take Sinner to a first-set tiebreak in their final four clash, and was on the verge of crafting a monumental upset.
After a double fault to open the shootout, however, Atmane’s opportunity slipped away from him, with the four-time major champion emerging triumphant in straight sets.
Following a disappointing first-round exit in Chengdu, the 23-year-old earned his place in the main draw at the China Open, where he began his campaign by knocking out Zhang Zhizhen.
Sinner will enter the bout as the favourite, but after coming close to drawing first blood in Cincinnati, Atmane will hope to earn revenge in the rematch.
Jannik Sinner’s potential route to the China Open title
Should the four-time major champion come out on top in his second-round match, he will play one of Fabian Marozsan or Alexandre Muller in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, Sinner could potentially be pitted against world number eight Alex de Minaur, David Goffin, or Jakub Mensik.
Possible final opponents include second seed Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrey Rublev, and Daniil Medvedev.
Sinner is seeking to win the China Open once again, after coming up short in the 2024 final against Alcaraz.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
