Sinner Storms Ahead in Shanghai, Kicks Off Title Defense!
Defending champion overcomes Altmaier, set to face Griekspoor next.
October 04, 2025
Rolex Shanghai Masters
Jannik Sinner triumphed over Daniel Altmaier, advancing to the third round in Shanghai.
By Andy West
The Rolex Shanghai Masters has posed challenges for defending champions lately, but Jannik Sinner is off to a fabulous start in his quest for consecutive titles this Saturday at the ATP Masters 1000 event in China.
Ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner breezed past Daniel Altmaier with a score of 6-3, 6-3 at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, marking an excellent initiation to his 2025 campaign. He is aiming to be the first player to successfully defend the Shanghai title since Novak Djokovic in 2013, and he arrived in Shanghai boasting an ATP 500 title from Beijing just days earlier. Against Altmaier, he showcased his prowess with a stellar one-hour and 38-minute performance.
Champion’s start ✨ @janniksin kickstarts his title defense with a commanding 6-3 6-3 victory over Altmaier. @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/Mw0b1wfLES
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2025
Sinner reflected, “I knew it would be a tough matchup today. I didn’t have much time to get used to the conditions, but that makes it even more rewarding. Every opponent poses unique challenges, and I’m thrilled to have made it through. I hope to elevate my game further tomorrow.”
Facing Altmaier for the first time since a surprising defeat to him at the 2023 Roland Garros, Sinner converted three of four break points, setting him up for a third-round clash with Tallon Griekspoor. With a remarkable 23-2 record in China and three titles (Beijing 2023 and 2025, Shanghai 2024) under his belt, Sinner heads into his upcoming match against Griekspoor with a 6-0 advantage in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
With Carlos Alcaraz sidelined due to injury, the 24-year-old Sinner has a golden opportunity to climb back to World No. 1 this fortnight. A win against Griekspoor would narrow the point gap to 1,290 from Alcaraz, and defending his title would decrease it to a mere 390 points.
“Everything feels different here. The humidity is challenging, making it physically demanding,” Sinner noted about the transition from Beijing to Shanghai. “I aimed to rest, but after a title win, it’s a balancing act between practice and recovery. My priority is to maintain peak physical condition for the next matches.”
Meanwhile, fellow ATP No. 1 club member Daniil Medvedev also secured his spot in the third round swiftly. The 16th seed, who found his rhythm reaching the Beijing semi-finals, dominated qualifier Dalibor Svrcina with a score of 6-1, 6-1. Medvedev displayed exceptional skill with 22 winners and only nine unforced errors across his 60-minute victory.
Next up for 2019 champion Medvedev is Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who triumphed over Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4. Young talent Learner Tien, who has claimed victories over Medvedev twice in 2025, also moved forward after a comeback against Corentin Moutet, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and setting up a meeting with Cameron Norrie.
