Sinner romps to 21st title, top seed Swiatek stunned by Navarro in Beijing event

Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien at the China Open on Wednesday as women’s top seed Iga Swiatek was dumped out in the last 16 in a shock.

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The Italian Sinner lifted the trophy for the second time on Beijing’s hard courts, having done so on his tournament debut in 2023, and a return to world number one is within view after a ruthless 6-2, 6-2 win.

Sinner’s only ever loss on the centre Diamond Court has been to great rival and top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year's final in three gripping sets.

“A very, very special place for me,” said the victorious Sinner, who got past a couple of three-set scares and a bout of diarrhoea to reach the final.

Alcaraz was not defending his title in the Chinese capital and on Tuesday won the Japan Open in Tokyo.

Sinner is the third man to win multiple China Open titles, matching Rafael Nadal’s record at two but so far well short of Novak Djokovic's six.

“I always say comparing me to Novak, he’s in a different league with everything he has achieved in his career," Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion, said.