Top tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek arrived in Beijing this week buzzing with excitement for the China Open. Both shared their thoughts ahead of the tournament, focusing on enjoying the matches and soaking up the experience in the Chinese capital.
Sinner, the men’s top seed, feels ready to roll after a short break following his US Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz last month. “It’s great to be back in a tournament,” the Italian player said. “My body’s in good shape, and so is my mind. I had some solid time off after the US Open.”
He faces a tough first-round challenge Thursday against Croatia’s Marin Cilic, ranked No. 97. “The opening round is never easy, no matter the event,” Sinner noted. “I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. But overall, I’m thrilled to return and play some strong tennis here in China. We’ve prepared as best we can, and I’m looking forward to it.”
On the women’s side, top seed Swiatek is riding high from her recent victory at the Korea Open, a WTA 500 event. She came back to beat Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 in the final on Sunday. “I usually just feel good and then I win,” Swiatek said. “But in that final, I didn’t start at my best. Turning it around like that? That’s what made this tournament special for me.”
The Polish star holds the No. 2 spot in the WTA rankings, trailing leader Aryna Sabalenka by more than 2,700 points. Sabalenka pulled out of the China Open with an injury, opening the door a bit for Swiatek. Still, she keeps her eyes on the court, not the numbers. “Fretting over rankings isn’t the way, whether you’re No. 1 or No. 2—it’s just digits,” she explained. “You have to feel the game, work on getting better, and the results follow. That’s my focus: how I play and how I feel out there.”
Swiatek added that she’s glad to compete for the top spot again after struggling to defend it last year. But her priority stays on tennis, not the leaderboard.
Beijing’s sights tempt her too, especially the iconic Great Wall. “I’d love to visit, but with this packed schedule, I doubt I’ll squeeze it in,” she said with a laugh. “Right now, it’s all about the China Open. If I play well, I won’t have time for much else anyway.”
One fun change for her matches: a switch to a white racquet from Tecnifibre. “They suggested white, and it matches everything,” Swiatek shared. “I’ve had tons of success with it before, so I’m sticking with white. It fits any outfit perfectly.”
Fans can’t wait to see how Sinner and Swiatek perform in this key stop on the tennis calendar.
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