Shanghai, China – Jannik Sinner kicked off his Shanghai Masters campaign in style, defeating Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday. The victory marked Sinner’s sixth consecutive win in China, extending his momentum following his recent China Open triumph in Beijing.
Sinner, currently world No. 2, avenged a painful loss to Altmaier at the 2023 French Open, where the German had beaten him in five sets after Sinner squandered two match points.
“I knew before the match it was going to be very difficult today. I didn’t have a lot of time to adapt here. But it makes it even more special,” Sinner said.
Sinner’s next opponent in Shanghai will be Tallon Griekspoor, against whom he holds a perfect 6-0 career record.
Adjusting from Beijing to Shanghai
With the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the tournament due to a left ankle injury, Sinner faces a slightly altered competitive landscape. He noted the challenge of adapting from Beijing’s conditions to Shanghai’s more humid environment:
“Everything is different. It’s much more humid and it can feel much more physical here. I tried to rest. But it is difficult after you win a title. You have to have a great balance of practice. Now the priority is to feel as good as I can physically for the next one.”
Other Early Round Results
- Alex de Minaur advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli, seeking redemption after losing to Sinner in Beijing’s semifinals.
- Daniil Medvedev crushed qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1.
- Yoshihito Nishioka upset 13th-seed Andrey Rublev 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
- 12th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-3.
- Kamil Majchrzak defeated 29th-seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-0.
Sinner’s strong start reaffirms his status as one of the favourites to go deep in Shanghai, carrying forward a wave of confidence after back-to-back titles in China.