Reports from Italy suggest Jannik Sinner may not play the Asian swing at all, with the issue now centered on how he and his team choose to map out the rest of the season. Former Italian player Stefano Pescosolido, now an analyst for Sky Sports Italia, outlined the possibility that Sinner could bypass the entire stretch and return later in the autumn.

“There are two options: Beijing and Shanghai, or starting with the indoor tournaments,” said Pescolido. “Last year’s Chinese ATP Masters 1000 tournament saw some tricky conditions, and he withdrew due to cramp.

“He might skip the Asian leg and return via Vienna, to be ready for the ATP Finals, in order to plan for the following year as effectively as possible.”

Sinner is presently expected to be the top seed at the China Open, where he is also the defending champion. If he takes part, he would begin as the clear player to beat, despite arriving with an injury.

If he does step away from the event, Alexander Zverev would move to the top seed position at the ATP 500 tournament and would become the leading title contender. The German has already benefited this season when top names were absent from major events, winning Roland Garros without Carlos Alcaraz and then capturing a Sinner -less US Open to become a two-time Grand Slam champion.

A withdrawal would also reshape the race to world No 1. Sinner would lose 500 ranking points if he does not contest the China Open, while Zverev would be defending only 60 points after reaching the quarterfinals in 2025.

The draw would still include Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic, and Jakub Mensik, but Zverev has already shown in 2026 that he can handle strong opposition among the rest.

He has never won the China Open, although he has reached the semifinals three times. He was beaten by Nick Kyrgios in 2017, Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019, and Medvedev in the 2023 season. Another title run would give him a new first in his career.

Darwin Blanch has been viewed for some time as one of the leading young talents in men’s tennis, and the American has now taken a significant step forward on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Blanch, who made his Masters debut as a 16-year-old against Rafael Nadal at the 2024 Madrid Open, has been building his way through Challenger events and has now claimed his first ATP 125 title at the Tiburon Challenger in the United States.

The 18-year-old beat Michael Mmoh 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final, a result that made him the youngest American to win an ATP 125 title. The victory has also lifted him to world No 160 and moved him up to sixth in the race to qualify for the NextGen Finals at the end of the year.

Blanch’s progress has been followed closely by Carlos Alcaraz, who has been a long-time admirer of the American. The two have practised together often, particularly at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Academy, when both were still prospects.

Ahead of Blanch’s 2024 meeting with Nadal in Madrid, Alcaraz spoke warmly about his level. “I’ve practised with him a few times in the academy. I know that he has good tennis. He plays very well for his age,” said Alcaraz, when Blanch was just 16.

Asked what advice he offered before the match against the King of Clay, Alcaraz said: “I told him just to enjoy the moment [against Nadal]. This moment is going to be really helpful to his career.

“It was really important to mine, when I faced [Nadal] in 2021 for the first time. I learned a lot from that match and living that experience was really helpful. Just to try and enjoy the moment and give himself the opportunity to enjoy and get experience.”

Blanch now heads to San Diego for another Challenger event immediately after his title run. He is scheduled to face compatriot JJ Wolf in the round of 32 on Tuesday, 21st September.

His 2026 season has already included ATP-level appearances in Winston-Salem and at the US Open, both on wildcards. He lost in straight sets to Rinky Hijikata in Winston-Salem and then fell to Taylor Fritz by the same scoreline in the first round of the US Open.

Arthur Fery has been confirmed as an alternate for Team Europe at the Laver Cup, a further sign of his swift rise through the game this season.

The British player first turned heads at Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals as a wildcard before losing to Alexander Zverev in straight sets. That run lifted him sharply up the rankings and carried him to a career-high world No. 33.

Fery later reached the final of the Winston-Salem Open, adding another significant result to a year that has already pushed him closer to the ATP Tour elite. His US Open campaign ended in the first round against Lorenzo Musetti, but his schedule now brings another notable opportunity on home soil.

Discussing his role as an alternate, Fery said: “It’s really special for me. I grew up going to The O2, and now playing for Team Europe in the Laver Cup there is really special in front of all the British fans.

“I hope that I’m going to be able to have some great conversations with all the other players there, and get some great training in whether I’m playing on the court or not.

“Regardless, it’s going to be great spending time around the top players in the world, and also learning from them.” “I can be a good team player as well as an individual player, because it’s definitely different in a team environment.

“You’ve got to support each other and play for the team, not for yourself as much. I’m used to that with college, so that’s already a good step in the right direction for me, and I’m sure that will help me. I’ll be ready to support my teammates from the bench if that’s what’s required from me.”

He will link up with high-profile company that includes seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and recent US Open champion Alexander Zverev. Team World alternate Ignacio Buse is also in the field, and both reserve players could well get a chance to feature.

Alcaraz is managing a wrist injury, Zverev has already logged plenty of tennis this season, while Casper Ruud has also dealt with injury concerns. Jakub Mensik and Rafael Jodar arrive after demanding Davis Cup ties.

The Laver Cup runs from 25 to 27 September at The O2 Arena in London. Team World will attempt to defend the title it won in San Francisco last year.