Sinner dominates Cilic in first match since USO finals loss

Jannik Sinner returned to the court three weeks after losing the US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz,  with the Italian crushing Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the second round of the ATP Beijing event.

The world No. 2 who lost the top ranking to Alcaraz as a result of the New York finals defeat 

Sinner won the Chinese event in 2023 and reached the final a year ago. Victory brought renewed confidence after his Grand Slam finals loss this month.

“I try to put a lot of concentration into the first-round matches, because I know that many things can go wrong,” Sinner said after winning his 27th consecutive first round match.

“After you usually find your rhythm, your pace, the speed of the courts much better. 

“I try to prepare myself in the best possible way. I came here quite early in order to feel the conditions.”

He added: “I’m very happy to deliver this kind of performance today. Marin is a very tough player, his peak is quite high. I managed to break him quite early in both sets, which gave me the confidence to keep going.”

Sinner is within touching distance of No. 1 Alcaraz, with just over 2,500 points separating the pair, a duel which could well come down to the November ATP Finals among the top eight in the world in Turin in November.

Sinner earned a re-match with breakthrough French talent Terence Atmane, a surprise semi-finalist in Cincinnati; he lost to Sinner in the semi-finals at the pre-US Open tournament.

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner in action at US Open 2025 – by Mark Greenwood/ISF Ltd