Sinner defeats Tien to win China Open men's final for 21st career title

Italy's Jannik Sinner swept past American teenager Learner Tien in the men's singles final at the China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, claiming his third title of the year and 21st Tour-level trophy of his career.

The four-time Grand Slam champion entered the title match at the National Tennis Center following a hard-fought semifinal win against Alex de Minaur. Sinner started strong, watching Tien's backhand sail long.

The Italian later pounded an overhead smash to break his American opponent's serve, taking a 4-1 lead. The 2023 champion went on to grab the first set 6-2 with an ace.

Tien, playing in his first final and bidding to become the youngest American champion on the Tour since Andy Roddick in 2002, earned two break points in the second set. But Sinner fended off his efforts, building a 4-2 lead.

There were no signs of discomfort in the Italian's first meeting with the 19-year-old, as the World No. 2 forced a return error with a wide serve to seal the match 6-2.

Sinner became the second man to claim multiple trophies at the ATP 500 event in the Chinese capital after Novak Djokovic. His victory, along with Carlos Alcaraz's Japan Open title on Tuesday, also marked the first time since 2020 that the top two players in the rankings both lifted trophies in the same week, after Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Sinner was set to play at the Shanghai Masters next, while his archrival Alcaraz planned to take some time off to recover from injuries.