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500 ATP China Open

Sinner changes tactics after US Open final loss as he prepares for China Open

Sinner is changing tactics after US Open final loss, testing new patterns ahead of China Open. 2025.

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World No. 2 Jannik Sinner says he is altering his on-court approach after a four-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final. The Italian described a period of reflection and small technical and tactical adjustments that are already showing in practice.

“We’ve been reflecting a lot to that final,” Sinner said in a pre-tournament press conference at this week’s China Open. “We are working on new things. We are changing a lot of small things where I’m thinking of now. The amount of mistakes at the moment is for sure a little bit higher, but I hope that this after recovers in a very positive way, no?”

Sinner dropped to No. 2 in the ATP rankings after falling one match short of defending his 2024 US Open title. He told reporters he is willing to accept short-term setbacks if they lead to a more versatile game. “I’m going to aim to, you know, maybe even losing some matches from now on, but trying to do some changes, you know, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player,” he said in his runner-up press conference earlier this month.

The 24-year-old’s decision follows a remarkable run after his 2024 breakthrough: two more Grand Slam trophies in 2025, including a first Wimbledon title over Alcaraz, and finals appearances at all four majors that season. He also maintained a 65-week stretch atop the ATP rankings despite missing three months of tournaments because of a suspension for an anti-doping rule violation incurred last spring.

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Sinner acknowledged the specific challenge Alcaraz presents and said he is preparing different options for that matchup. “I’m trying to be more prepared for the next match what I will play against him,” Sinner said in New York. “It also, I feel like, depends how you arrive to play against Carlos. You know, one thing is when the scoreline, you know, matches before are comfortable but you always do the same things, like I did, for example, during this tournament, you know, I didn’t make one serve-volley, didn’t use a lot of drop shots, and then you arrive to a point where you play against Carlos where you have to go out of the comfort zone.”

Sinner is the top seed at the China Open; Alcaraz elected to compete in Tokyo. The Italian opens his Beijing campaign against Marin Cilic. “It’s just a question of time,” Sinner said of his tactical tweaks. “Let’s see how long I take it. I don’t know how much I’m able to do it on actual match court because one thing is practice and one thing is match. Let’s see.”

500 ATP Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell

Fils rallies past Rafael Jodar in Barcelona semis to reach 100 career wins

Arthur Fils rallied from a set down to defeat Rafael Jodar in Barcelona semis, his 100th career win.

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Arthur Fils overcame a set deficit to defeat Rafael Jodar in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The victory marked multiple milestones in a single match for the 21-year-old Frenchman.

Fils erased the early advantage Jodar established when the Spanish teenager took the first set. He recovered by taking the second set 6-3 and then closed out the match 6-2 in the decider. The win ended Jodar’s eight-match winning streak that began with his first ATP title in Marrakech last week and continued with three more wins in Barcelona.

Jodar had also been riding a run of set dominance, having won 13 sets in a row before Fils rallied to halt that sequence. That combination of recent form and momentum made Fils’ comeback more significant.

Most notably, the win was the 100th tour-level victory of Fils’ career. At 21 years old, he became the first man born in 2004 or later to reach 100 tour-level wins. The result advances Fils to the Barcelona final and leaves Jodar’s surge halted at the semifinal stage.

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The match underlined Fils’ capacity to close out big moments against an in-form opponent and provided a notable career landmark in the 2026 season. His progression through an ATP 500 event and the accumulation of 100 tour-level wins underline the trajectory he has followed in recent seasons.

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500

Muchova ends 0-6 run vs Gauff to reach Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semifinals

Muchova ends 0-6 run vs Gauff, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 on Center Court, to reach Stuttgart semifinals.

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Karolina Muchova recorded her first victory over Coco Gauff in seven meetings, outlasting the No. 2 seed 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semifinals.

The seventh-seeded Czech had been 0-6 against Gauff and had taken only one set from her previously, most recently losing 6-1, 6-1 last month in Miami. Muchova withstood a second-set recovery from Gauff and regained control in the decider to close the match in two hours and 24 minutes on Center Court.

Gauff arrived in Stuttgart in strong spring form, having reached her first final at Hard Rock Stadium and pushing world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to three sets there. She opened her Stuttgart campaign with a straightforward win over Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday but struggled for consistency early against Muchova, committing 16 forehand unforced errors in the first set.

Without a first-round bye, Muchova was playing her third match of the week after surviving a three-setter against Elise Mertens in the round of 16. The former Roland Garros finalist has also posted solid results in 2026, capturing her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in February.

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After claiming the opening set, Muchova briefly saw the momentum shift as Gauff served out the second. In the final set Muchova tightened her game, earned the decisive break in the sixth game, saved three break points to consolidate that advantage and ultimately served out the victory, closing to 15.

The win sends Muchova into the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and gives her a breakthrough result against a player who had dominated their previous encounters.

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500 French Open Madrid Open

Swiatek, Roig begin partnership after Mallorca spark and a confident Stuttgart start

Swiatek starts with Francisco Roig after Mallorca training and a ‘crazy boost of motivation’ now on.

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Francisco Roig and Iga Swiatek took a first step together in Stuttgart, a debut that felt constructive if not yet fully synchronised. In the second set of her opening match she bulldozed a backhand winner down the line; Roig, talking with a member of her player box, noticed Swiatek watching from her seat and offered a quick thumbs up. That small exchange captured the tone of the day: a workmanlike victory and room to refine the relationship.

Swiatek beat Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-3, overcoming a tricky opponent playing in front of home fans. It was a low-drama win, but also a reminder of areas to fix. She double-faulted seven times in the match, a serve issue that Roig and Swiatek will surely address.

The pairing follows a difficult stretch for the Pole. Her ranking has fallen from No. 2 to No. 4 this season, despite having spent 122 weeks at No. 1. She has not yet won an individual title in 2026 and, after a shock loss to 56th-ranked countrywoman Magda Linette in Miami, Swiatek decided to part ways with Wim Fissette.

Swiatek then sought a clay-focused reset at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca, a stay she described as intense. “I don’t think I ever spent so much time on court as I did in Mallorca,” she said on Wednesday. “A week full of grind.” She called the experience inspiring: “With Rafa it was a really inspiring time. Having him on the court was an extra crazy boost of motivation. He has that energy. Having him on court you want to show him the same kind of vibe.”

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She left Mallorca having added Roig, one of Nadal’s long-time coaches. “I haven’t changed coaches often in my career, but I feel excited,” she says. “I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations.” Swiatek also emphasised openness to the new methods: “I think you need to be really open minded, and soak in this new approach. I feel like with Francisco, we have a similar view as far as how I should play.”

With Roig in her corner, Swiatek is looking to capture her first clay-court title since 2024 Roland Garros. Match one was encouraging; the real test will be whether the new pairing can convert that inspiration into results across the clay swing.

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